OFTEN I would remind people that we, Christians, worship a triune God. In essence, this means God is one, but eternally exists as three distinct persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I would tell them that as much as it is difficult to grasp this dogma of our faith, it’s how God, according to the Bible, chose to reveal himself to us and the world.
The Gospel this Sunday (John 14:15-16, 23B-26), for example, shows this essence and nature of God when Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always…I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
On this Sunday of the Solemnity of Pentecost, we celebrate this essence of God and highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us so we can embody the Spirit of Jesus in the world by our baptism, discipleship, and all our works of love, mercy, peace, and justice.
The apostles, the disciples, and the Fathers of the Church taught this element of our faith. St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376-444) in a commentary on the Gospel of John, for example, wrote:
“It was most fitting that the sending of the Spirit and his descent upon us should take place after the departure of Christ our Savior. As long as Christ was with them in the flesh, it must have seemed to believers that they possessed every blessing in him; but when the time came for him to ascend to his heavenly Father, it was necessary for him to be united through his Spirit to those who worshiped him, and to dwell in our hearts through faith.
With the Spirit within them it is, quite natural for people who had been absorbed by the things of the world to become entirely other-worldly in outlook, and cowards to become men of great courage…The strength they received from the Spirit enables them to hold firmly to the love of Christ, facing the violence of their persecutors unafraid.”
The Holy Spirit then impels us to trust, to love, to forgive, and to hope. He urges us to pray and worship, to seek better understanding and right judgment, and to be brave to face any challenge and difficulty. He pours particular gifts to us for the service of God’s people. He inspires us to broaden and to fight for our vision of peace and justice in our society and communities. He encourages to sacrifice our lives for our faith in Jesus Christ.
We need to be conscious of this indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, which happens when we pray and contemplate; study and reflect on the Scriptures; celebrate the Sacraments and liturgy; and engage in corporal acts of mercy such as feeding the poor and providing shelter for the homeless. In this way, we keep the Risen Christ alive in our hearts and the world!
* * *
From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1991-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
