In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
I was two and a half years old when my mother taught me how to pray. She told me to make the Sign of the Cross before and after, which I never understood why back then. I have long known about God the Father – the Creator, the totality of existence. I have long learned about Jesus Christ – the Son of God, the Saviour, the Redeemer, the One who freed us from our sins. But what about the Holy Spirit? What does it do? I’ve read Bible stories when I was a kid. There was a story about the Tongues of Fire during Pentecost – when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and enabled them to speak the Word of God in different languages. Back then I was like, “Is that it? The Holy Spirit is just God’s translator so that other people can understand Him?”
Pentecost Sunday, 24th May 2015, we attended a mass. I was very anxious about an exam I have to take the next day that I found it hard to concentrate on the celebration. The priest opened up his homily by saying “Today we celebrate the birth of the Catholic church.” I admit I wasn’t focused on what he was saying, that is, until he brought up the descent of the Holy Spirit. I thought about the stories I used to read. Eventually, I forgot about school for the rest of the night. The priest went on to say that every good deed, every act of compassion, every kind word was not from us but from God’s spirit in us. My once clouded up thoughts started to clear up. I thought that if the Father made us, and Jesus saved us, then it must be the Holy Spirit making sure that we stay saved. The Holy Spirit protects our faith from failing. The ride back home on that day was filled with questions from my childhood. I went from the church thinking that it may just be the usual celebration. I never expected it to hit harder than Manny Pacquiao’s 4th round haymaker on Floyd Mayweather.
I went to my room when I got home, wanting for the questions in my head to be answered. I reached for the Bible on the nightstand and read the day’s Gospel, John 16:13-15
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
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I struck gold (or oil for that matter, since I’m in the Middle-East). I understand it better now. The younger I wasn’t completely wrong. The Holy Spirit, indeed, is God’s translator. What does he translate? Love. For God’s love is so great, we cannot comprehend its entirety. We need the Holy Spirit to “translate” it for us in ways we can understand, such as holding the door open for someone carrying a lot of shopping bags, helping an old lady cross the street, telling your parents you love them. All those little things are translations. When we do it, it is not because we are loving humans, but because we let God’s spirit within our hearts translate His love for other people to experience. That’s why some say they can see God in good people, because it is God’s love that allows us to be righteous. More often than not, people tend to forget that the ultimate expression of love was Jesus dying on the cross. My little brother asked me once, “Kuya, what is the best definition of love? Butterflies in your belly? Sleepless nights?” How am I itching to say to him that none of those is true. John 15:13 says it best:
“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
God loves us so much that He gave us His only Son to redeem us from sin. Jesus died not only to save us from the fiery furnace of eternal screams and wailing agony, but also to give us the entirety of Heaven as we embrace it when we share eternal life with God.
Forgiveness. Sometimes it takes more than a life for one to forgive the other. Forgiving someone does not mean that we pardoned their wrongs and made it right, but rather, it means that we have shown them the mercy that God has shown us.
But we cannot forgive all by ourselves. The Holy Spirit makes it possible. Who are we to deny our brother of mercy when God is ready to forgive us and welcome us with open arms? We are merely vessels of God’s grace, though we are unworthy of God’s pure heart. Nevertheless, He showered all the love He has upon us. He wants us to be empty, that we may be filled to the brim, overflowing even, of His undying and unconditional love. When we let the Holy Spirit descend upon us, a fire starts in our hearts, which can no longer be extinguished by pride, hate, greed, envy, lust, but rather, burn brighter as we deliver God’s translated love to His people. We are called to be our brother’s keeper, and as we live for evangelization, may we let the Holy Spirit lead the march. Let us be one with the Lord through His spirit.
I have long known that God the Father created us. I have long learned that Jesus Christ the Son saved us. And now I understand that the Holy Spirit manifests and sustains the love of God in us.
In the name of the Father.
And of the Son.
And of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
