DO NOT QUENCH

THE SPIRIT!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Third Sunday of Advent B is, “Do Not Quench The Spirit!”

It’s a command, an imperative, from Paul - in today’s second reading. It’s Chapter 5, verse 19, from his First Letter to the Thessalonians.

“Do not quench the Spirit!”

Other translations: “Do not dampen the Spirit.” “Do not snuff out ….” We’ve all blown out candles. Well, “Do not blow out this Fire, this Spirit - the Spirit of God in our midst.” “Do not extinguish this Spirit.”

As you have heard at times, First Thessalonians is the earliest New Testament writing - dated 50 or 51 - so it’s before the Gospels.

And it’s well before 1870 when electric lights started to go on. It’s from a time of oil lamps and candles - so people would know exactly what Paul is picturing - putting out a light - blowing out a light.

Paul is telling the Christian community in this city of Thessalonica not to put out the fire of the Spirit in each other - that he Paul had lit when we was with them. Don’t quench the Spirit. Don’t dampen the Fire - the Spirit of God burning - enlightening - warming our community - huddling us together in the cold - bringing us light in the dark.

I’d like to preach on that theme today. “Do not quench the Spirit.”

And I’m picturing three fires - the fire in me, the fire in others - the other persons in our home, in our places of work, in our groups, - and thirdly, the Spirit of Christ, the Fire of Christ Himself. Don’t quench, don’t blow out any one of these three fires.

LET’S START WITH SELF:  10 QUESTIONS

Let’s start with oneself - because if the fire has gone out in me, it’s difficult to be someone who brings passion and fire to others. It’s difficult to feel the presence of the Fire of the Spirit of Christ - all around us?

So here are 10 questions:

What happens when I walk into a room?

What happens when I walk in my front door or through the side door from the garage - or outside?

What happens when I walk into my place of work?

If you’re married, what is the state of your union?

If you’re single - divorced - widow or widowed - where are you - with your past?

Do I still live there or have I moved on into my future?

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, how happy - how joyful - am I most of the time?

Am I an optimist or a pessimist?

Is there anyone scared of me - and avoids me?

Is there anyone who rejoices when they see me?

VISION CENTER - OR EYE OPENER

I would assume walking into church - should be at times an eye opening experience. I would assume that church is a vision center.

So when we’re sitting there getting our I examined - I spelled “I” not “E-Y-E”, we’re asked all kinds of questions. We’re being asked how we see. I can never get the difference between this lens and that lens at times when I get my eyes examined at an eye doctor.

When we’re sitting in church, I assume that we’re being asked at times, how we see ourselves - for example compared to something that is said in the readings.

Today is Gaudete Sunday - “Gaudete” is the Latin word for “Rejoice” - or “Be Joyful”.

If we were sitting in a waiting room to see an eye doctor or any doctor and we picked up a magazine and we spotted a self test and we started answering the questions, how would we answer these 5 questions?

“I am a joyful person.” Circle one: Always, Sometimes, It all depends, Never. Don’t know.

“I was a happy child.” Circle one: Always, Sometimes. It all depends. Never. Don’t know.

“I am a complainer - a whiner - a grumbler.” Circle one: Always, Sometimes. It all depends. Never. Don’t know.

“I am a blamer.” Circle one: Always, Sometimes. It all depends. Never. Don’t know.

“I am someone with enthusiasm.” Circle one: Always, Sometimes. It all depends. Never. Don’t know.

AN EXERCISE

Every once and a while someone says to me sort of by accident that they talked about something I said in a homily - on the way home from church - or at breakfast after Mass or what have you.

That brings me joy. That ignites my fire.

Here is something to do today after Mass. You can do this by yourself - but better - as a couple - or as a family. Get a candle. Put it on a table in front of you. Then light the candle and watch it burn. Then blow out the candle and watch what happens. The smoke rises and fades away. The wax hardens. What was hot becomes cold.

That’s it.

Then discuss: "When do I blow out your candle?" Or,  "When do I realize I blow out your candle?"

If you do this by yourself, you can ask the same questions.

When do we quench the Spirit in the other?

When does this happen to me - or  when do I feel this happens to me?

Last week I was with about 50 of our high school kids on a Kairos Retreat. Part of the retreat we're in small groups. At other times we're in a semi-large group and at other times we have full group discussions. In one group session - with no one as leader - it was a free for all discussion. I noticed that some people didn’t speak. I noticed that some raised their hands - but someone else jumped in - and they didn't get their chance to speak. I noticed some people cutting off some people.

I kept thinking: wouldn’t it be great if someone said from one side of the circle to the other members of the group: “Sam had his hand up three times and nobody gave him a chance to speak. Sam what did you want to say?”

Would that let Sam’s fire - Spirit - personality - fire - burn brighter?

Married folks could talk and face the question: Do we quench each other’s Spirit? Better. Name 5 things that ignite sparks and 5 behaviors that quenche the other's Spirit.

When it comes to a serious discussion about all this, I would assume it would be better to start with out there first. In other words to ask about how this happens at work or school. Only then - having gotten used to talking  to each other about this issue of quenching or squelching another's Spirit - then bring the question home to each other. If you have a fireplace in your home, you know what it's like to have a roaring fire - or a steady fire - and what it's like to see a fire going out. What is the fire like in our home: burning brightly, steady but low key, or burning out?

Married couples: when was the last time you had a honeymoon?

Families: when was the last time you have a family meal when all were laughing and not leaving the table?  I heard kids last week saying they don’t have family meals - or if they do,  they sit on the couch with the TV on.

Talk about quenching the Spirit….

CONCLUSIONS

The title of my homily is, “Don’t Quench The Spirit.”

Start with self. Could I make the opening words of today’s first reading from Isaiah 61 my words:

                       The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
                       because the LORD has anointed me;
                       he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
                       to heal the brokenhearted,
                       to proclaim liberty to the captives
                       and release to the prisoners,
                       to announce a year of favor from the LORD
                       and a day of vindication by our God.

Jesus made those words his own - in the famous synagogue service we read about in the Gospel of Luke (cf. Luke 4: 18-19.) Could I say them of myself?

Circle one: Always, Sometimes. It all depends. Never. Don’t know.

Can I look in the mirror of self each day, each night, and say with Isaiah, I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul…?

Circle one: Always, Sometimes. It all depends. Never. Don’t know.

Jumping to the gospel, I love the words of John the Baptist, “but there is one among you whom you do not recognize…” Do I recognize that Jesus among us as the lamplighter - the Fire Bringer - the Light of the World?

Circle one: Always, Sometimes. It all depends. Never. Don’t know.


Christmas is all about the coming of Jesus - as a baby - an infant - but most of us are well along the way of Salvation - and Jesus is an adult to us - but maybe we need to sit down with Jesus as well - this Advent - this Christmas  - and ask the heavy questions: “Jesus have I quenched your Spirit in me?” “Have I blown out your light?”

Circle one: Always, Sometimes. It all depends. Never. Don’t know.

Get out that candle and say to Jesus, “Do you have a light please?”