WE  HAVE  NEVER  

EVEN  HEARD 

THAT  THERE  IS 

A  HOLY  SPIRIT.

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is a sentence in today’s first reading, “We Have Never Even Heard That There Is A Holy Spirit.” [Acts 19: 3]

By now we have all heard that there is a Holy Spirit.  We have been hearing since we were babies, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.”

If we were cradle Catholics,  our moms and dads - probably our moms - brought us into church and had us as little, little, little kids make the sign of the cross at the Holy Water font, “In  the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

And we heard the word “Ghost” be retranslated to “Spirit” along the line - especially 50 years ago or so with the Second Vatican Council.

And some might have gotten involved in the Charismatic Movement - when the Holy Spirit was stressed over and over again big time.

And if we went to Catholic School  - we might have been taught to pray when taking tests or making major decisions to pray, “Come Holy Spirit.”

QUESTION: WHERE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE?

Where is the Holy Spirit in your life?  Where is the Holy Spirit in your prayer life?

Do you pray, “Come Holy Spirit!” Do you pray, “Veni Creator Spiritus!”

If you look at your life, were there periods when you focused on God the Father, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?

If you look at your life, does the Feast of Pentecost hit you in certain ways that are different than other moments in the Church year?

Have you ever heard a great sermon on the Holy Spirit?

If you had the opportunity to preach on the Holy Spirit, what would you say?

When you made your confirmation in the faith, did the revelations - did the teachings of the Church - on the Holy Spirit - hit you?

Have you ever been asked to be a sponsor for a grandson or granddaughter or a niece or a nephew or someone in an RCIA program, at their confirmation? Did that trigger any Holy Spirit reflections or thoughts or prayers?

COME HOLY SPIRIT

Pentecost is next Sunday.  It’s 50 days after Easter - pentekoste - 50 - in Greek. We’re familiar with the Greek word “penta” for 5 - as in the Pentagon - as in pentameter - 5 metrical feet.

We’re familiar with the 3 classical images or metaphors for the Spirit:  wind, fire and the dove.

Which hits us the most?

Have we sat and watched a quiet bird flying - and thought of the images of the Holy Spirit hovering over Jesus - and a voice said, “this is my beloved Son, listen to him.”

Have we watched a fire and said to the Spirit, light a fire in me?

Have we stood there and let the wind push our sails, sweep over our faces, touch our skin and thought, “Spirit! Spirit! Spirit!”  Have we thought of breath, oxygen, air, as metaphors of the Spirit.  Ruah - the Hebrew word for spirit - the wind, the breath of God, breathed into Adam at the human creation.  Have we thought of the word “ghost”  for the Holy Spirit - not as in Caspar the Ghost - but gust - coming from the German word for spirit - geist.

Come Holy Spirit.

CONCLUSION

Find a quiet place - a good place for prayer.

Use a rosary. Say slowly and reverently, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Or chant, “Veni Creator Spiritus.”

Or chant, “Come Holy Spirit.”