June 1, 2022

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

The Liturgy of our Catholic Church teaches us and guides us the way in which God touches his people. As you remember, Holy Week follows liturgically the culmination of the Lord’s life on this earth. There is the Last Supper of Jesus on Holy Thursday, the Passion and crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday, and then our celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus to new life on Easter Sunday.

The Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus liturgically for seven weeks during the Easter Season. This Easter Season ends with the remembrance and celebration of the Ascension of the Lord. Jesus chose to return to the Father and not remain here in this world. During the Masses of the Easter Season, the Gospel readings record Jesus’ promise to his apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit to support his apostles – the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. This coming of the Holy Spirit is celebrated on the Feast of the Pentecost.

The scene of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles is described in the Acts of the Apostles. The apostles were together in the Upper Room, uncertain and anxious. Then comes the Holy Spirit in power, in wind and fire. The apostles find a new energy and readiness. They boldly go into the streets to preach and teach the message of Jesus to all who would listen. Thus, begins the ministry of the Church extended throughout the world, the Universal Catholic Church.

The Church calls upon the power of the Holy Spirit, though the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. These sacraments call upon the Holy Spirit to give us the courage to lead a good life – to live in the spirit of Our Savior, Jesus – that we may lead others to the Lord and bring the message of Jesus of love and peace to others.

I believe that the Holy Spirit brings love and courage and wisdom to all of us, calling us to a vocation in life. As people of faith, we should believe that the Holy Spirit blesses us and calls us to this vocation, preparing us to find our way of life. Some are called to be ordained priests, some as a consecrated religious, others are called to the married state in life, others to be dedicated to the single life.

Here I want to add to this that I believe that the Holy Spirit also calls each of us – each day – to each day’s vocation for us. I believe that the Holy Spirit guides and calls us for this very day, leading us to live a courageous, good and powerful day so that we can bring the Lord and his message to others. The opportunities that the Lord gives us are many.

The Holy Spirit animates and sanctifies our Catholic Church. The Holy Spirit prepares us to bring others to Christ. The Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand Christ’s death and Resurrection. The Holy Spirit makes present for us the mystery of Christ, especially in the Eucharist, and brings us to communion with God that we may be successful disciples of the Lord.

The Spirit that we have been given is not a spirit of temerity, but the Spirit of power. Wind and fire are symbols of this power. Wind has the power to move and uproot. Fire has the power to refine and transform. This is the power of God. The coming of the Spirit provided the apostles with the energy, the courage and the love to get on with the task Christ has given them.

Just as the apostles changed, so are we. We must realize that the apostles were wounded people. They were wounded by doubt and grief. Jesus gave them a chance to shine. He handed his entire work over to them. He knew they needed help. That is why he sent them the Spirit.