The Spirit’s Enabling Power

Homily: Solemnity of Pentecost 

23 May 2021

John 20:19-23

Fr. Ricky Canet Montanez, AA 

Our shared life experience in the past year has profoundly altered the life perspective of many people. We all cope with a wide range of issues brought about by the COVID pandemic in a variety of ways.  I know of someone who literally never leaves his room and is hooked up 24/7 to all his gadgets devouring every bit of COVID 19-related information available online. Unfortunately, since not all of the data he finds are accurate and reliable he becomes needlessly paranoid and anxious. He spends his time indoors and in front of the computer screen, passing his time imagining the scariest possible scenarios arising from the pandemic. His is a life paralysed by fear.  He is very much alive but he has entombed himself already, cutting himself off from the people in his life that continues the struggle to live as a community — helping, supporting, and consoling one another. On the other hand, I know of a simple homemaker who leads a quiet life who is now at the forefront of an impressive initiative that serves home-cooked meals to the urban poor sector in Metro Manila.  She was so moved by the suffering of the less fortunate in her community and inspired by the OPLAN COVID initiative of CTK Parish that she mobilised her friends and employed their skills in cooking, organising, logistics, and fund raising to support her initiative to prepare meals for the hungry in the city.  She surprised everyone who knew her because she always opted to be a follower and shied away from the spotlight or leadership positions yet here she is, the general of a small army carrying out God’s work.  

While many have invested time in being more productive and more prayerful to help them cope, others have become so paralysed by their fears that they have become idle and so fearful to do anything, confining themselves in their own comfortable bubbles in the belief that they are saving their life. Yet there are those who allow themselves to be moved by the Holy Spirit to a life of service doing wonderful deeds for the people of God even in such uncertain and dangerous times as this. Efforts like this are essentially “buwis buhay” because these individuals risk their personal comfort and even their own safety so that others can simply survive. Many of these silent workers whose names or efforts never make the news or go viral on social media credit their unexpected success to the graciousness of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They did not know they had it in them to accomplish big things in the face of many obstacles and social restrictions. The Holy Spirit inspires and also empowers! 

On this Solemnity of Pentecost, we are given two versions of the coming of the Holy Spirit in today’s readings.  Luke in the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles cites how amazing things happened on the first Pentecost: “tongues as of fire” rested on the disciples (Acts 2:3), they spoke in “different tongues” (Acts 2:4), and they proclaimed “the mighty acts of God” (Acts 2:11). It was an astounding moment for all present!  In the gospel account by John, Pentecost is manifested as a new creation breathed into the disciples by the risen Christ. It is a very calm and peaceful scene where, by His own breath, Jesus bestows on His followers the Holy Spirit.  Although the two accounts differ in terms of how the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, both readings tell us of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit on these terror-stricken followers of the crucified Messiah.  “Breath” in the gospel account is an important element because as we recall in the creation story, it is God’s breath that creates and gives life. He breathes over the waters; He also breathes life into the clay of the ground which he had formed into the first human being. Similarly, Jesus breathes on His disciples saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  (John 20:22) In doing so, Jesus gives them new life making of them a new creation.  What follows in the account written by St. Luke, is a witnessing of how the Spirit has empowered the disciples into bold heralds of the mighty acts of God. The Spirit transformed them as they began preaching fearlessly. It was through the power of the Holy Spirit that these once fearful men have fulfilled Jesus’ mandate of going out into the whole world to proclaim the Good News. They were able to do so only through the Holy Spirit’s power. This is what St. Paul asserts in the Second Reading: “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)

Furthermore, we are reminded that the gift of the Holy Spirit has also been given to us all – the baptised (the confirmed) … Through the Spirit’s presence we are, in St. Paul’s words, “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and “temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). We all have been charged with the same divine energy to share in the saving mission of Jesus to the world. We, too are empowered by this same creative Spirit to imbue the world with the presence of God through our words and actions. 

Here at Christ the King Parish, I am very proud of our sacristans (John, Jay, Noel and Eugene) who are now very skilled at live-streaming our daily masses. At the start of the lockdown, when we had to make personnel adjustments to make ends meet, we found that we needed people to help CTK bring the mass to its parishioners at home. Our sacristans were called upon to train how to use the equipment and the live-streaming platforms. John, who is up in the choir loft now, never imagined he would be doing this work especially since he was not adept at computers to begin with. Learning new skills was a truly empowering experience for them. Now they will also be helping San Roque Parish by training the parish’s future live-streaming team.  Recently also, I have come to subscribe to the YouTube channel of Fr. Casey Cole called “Breaking In The Habit”. He is a young American Franciscan Friar who has had his own YouTube channel for the past 5 years. He started out as a blogger but he felt he was called to do VLOGGING to evangelise to the online community after an initial attempt got encouraging feedback and good reviews. There were a lot of hits and misses in the beginning and he constantly questioned his calling to work with social media. He says he felt stupid talking to a camera in public especially since he was a one-man team of videographer, host and editor. To his surprise, despite all his misgivings, he was led to trainings, he met people who mentored him, and his community sponsored the expense of all the equipment he needed. Today he has 212,000 subscribers and a small team that helps produce weekly content for his channel.  This was not something he imagined he would be doing when he chose to become a priest or friar.  He is personally amazed how the Holy Spirit has empowered him and allowed his little project to soar to greater heights. 

As you all know by now, I have been appointed by Bishop Ness as Parish Administrator of San Roque Parish in Bagumbayan (not very far from here). I take this new mission with joy but at the same time a tinge of trepidation. Although I worked in our parish in London, this will be the first time that I find myself in the forefront of parish life. What gives me courage is the fact that deep in my heart I know that when God calls, He also equips the one He calls.  I cannot say that I am the perfect person for the job because in all humility, I know there is much for me to learn about parish administration, but I am convinced that the Holy Spirit will empower me to accomplish the task I have been called to do for the greater glory of God. Last Sunday, I said my first mass in San Roque and after the mass I was formally introduced to the members of the Parish Pastoral Council. The people are very welcoming of their new pastor and assured me that we are in this together. “Father, makipagtulungan po kami sa inyo sa lahat ng aming makakaya!”  And for that I am very grateful and hopeful that my experience there will be a fulfilling one. 

On this day, let us thank the Father for our “soul’s most welcome guest” – the Holy Spirit! May we be open to the promptings of the Spirit in our lives just as the home maker who feeds the poor of Metro Manila, our CTK sacristans, and Fr. Casey Cole. Just as I am taking courage in accomplishing my new mission in life, I encourage you to do the same as well.  Life in quarantine can still be an adventure if we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit. May the Lord continuously send us His Spirit to renew the face of the earth.