A BREATH 

OF FRESH AIR

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Monday after Epiphany is, “A Breath of Fresh Air.”

That’s a theme that hits me from today’s readings.

In today’s first reading from First John, we hear about two different kinds of spirits: the spirit of truth versus the spirit of deceit.

In our English translation of today’s first reading,  the word “spirit” appears 8 times. 2 times it’s capitalized - evidently referring to the Holy Spirit and 6 times to the spirits that roam  within us - and the spirits that come out of us.

In the Biblical World, in the Middle East, in the time of Jesus, spirit means “wind” - “air” - “breath”.

Besides water power and animal and human power - muscle -  people were very aware of wind power. They had sail boats.  They were aware of fresh air, a gentle breeze, a tornado or a hurricane, gusts of air, as well as heavy hot air that can drain the energy out of a person.

If you’ve ever been to Rome when a scirocco - or sirocco - is blowing - you’ve experienced the hot dusty wind from the Sahara desert - sometimes reaching hurricane speeds. Volkswagen named a whole series of their cars after different winds: the Jetta (Jet Stream), the Passat (after the German word for Trade winds), the Golf (Gulf Stream), Polo (Polar Winds), the Bora (Bora Winds) and the “Scirocco” - which is funny because in southern Europe a Scirroco covers all cars and windows with a fine dust  - and it gets into one’s nose and lungs. Ugh.

Gust - as in a gust of wind - is seen in the word “ghost”. Not wanting to call the Holy Ghost a ghost - was one reason we switched our language to Holy Spirit.

In Hebrew it’s RUAH - the word used to describe what God sent over the waters to create the world - as well as the word used for what God breathed into the human being he had made out of the clay of the earth.

In Greek the word used is “PNEUMA” - as in pneumatic tires or pneumonia - when our lungs - our breathing machine is sick and not working right.

In Latin the word used is, “SPIRITUS” - as in the Spirit of God.

PRAYER TIME

A wonderful Christian prayer is, “Come Holy Spirit!” Then we can add prayer phrases like, “breathe into me new life,” “a new spirit.”

People ask us priests - the same question Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Teach us how to pray.” [Luke 11: 1]

Jesus answered that question by teaching his disciples to say the “Our Father” and to keep asking, seeking and knocking on  God’s door.

I would add: Catch your breath. I would add find a time to pray and just sit there and breathe in and out. I would add: become more and more aware of your breathing. I would add: take good walks on good days like today - and become more and more aware of your breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. If you’ve taken any workshops on Eastern and Oriental prayer, you heard the great stress on breathing and praying, praying and breathing.

BACK TO TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading from First John he asks us to be aware of whether you’re breathing in a spirit of truth or a spirit of deceit.

First John for today challenges us - commands us - to breathe in the Holy Spirit and breathe out a holy spirit - and First John will stress over and over again, that spirit, is a spirit of love.

In today’s gospel Jesus moves from Nazareth to Capernaum.

A breath of Fresh Air enters Nazareth - a spirit of healing and curing. It’s the Kingdom of God - coming down on people.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “A Breath of Fresh Air.”

So here is a prayer I wrote for this theme:

A NEW PRAYER

TO THE SPIRIT

        There are two kinds of people.
        Those who bring a breath of fresh

        air into every room they enter;

        and those who suck the air

        out of every room they’re in.
        Come Holy Spirit,

        help me to be A, not B.