DOCSLIB.ORG

Homily for Pentecost Sunday 23Rd May 2021 Last Thursday, at Our

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Homily for Pentecost Sunday 23Rd May 2021 Last Thursday, at Our 1 Homily for Pentecost Sunday 23rd May 2021 Last Thursday, at our School Mass for Pentecost, I showed this apple to the children and asked whether it might perhaps have come from a pear tree. Worryingly, there were a few of the younger children who thought that might have been a possibility. I suggested to the teachers that a botany lesson might be the first order of the day when they returned to the classroom. My point of course was that if you have an apple you know that somewhere there must be an apple tree: the fruit tells you where it came from. As Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel: ‘By their fruits you shall know them.’ 2 And I think that’s a very appropriate message on this Pentecost Day as we celebrate ourselves as a people on whom the Holy Spirit is poured out. Because the only way we can see the Holy Spirit is through the fruits that the Spirit causes to grow in us. Pears don’t grow on apple trees. An apple tells you that there’s an apple tree somewhere about. And the presence, or absence, of the fruits of the Holy Spirit tell you whether the Holy Spirit does, or does not, get a foothold in our life. In one of this finest passages, St Paul, in his letter to the Galatians 3 waxes lyrical on what those fruits are, those signs that a person is allowing the Spirit to flourish in their heart. They’re immensely concrete and practical: love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self-control. These are the apples that tell you there’s an apple tree somewhere about, the very concrete signs that we’ve opened our heart enough to give up the driver’s seat and let the Spirit be the one who runs our life. Disturbingly St Paul complements that list with another one, the ‘anti-fruits’ as it were, 4 the signs that we block the Spirit in favour of following our instincts: once again a very practical list with which can all sadly identify at times and including: feuds jealousy bad temper quarrels factions envy Paul certainly understood human nature! If we look at those two lists the first is typified by an attitude of heart that looks outwards, beyond the self, towards others. Whereas the other list reflects a heart that looks inwards, full of oneself, full of the ego. Today we bring the fifty beautiful days of the Easter Season to their conclusion and we do it by these decorations that say that the life of Jesus we share 5 is meant to be like a fire: a fire which consumes those negative behaviours that can so affect our relationships with our fellow human beings, a fire which fills us with a passion for those fruits of the Spirit that make our lives a light of peace and hope for the world around us, that make our world better. Apples fall from apple trees. The fruit is a sign of where it comes from: the fruits of the Spirit flourish in a heart that’s open to being filled with the Spirit, not full of itself. 6 Galatians 5, verse 22: we could do well to ponder at the end of each day those signposts which St Paul gives us, signposts as to whether life is lived only on our own terms, according to our own instincts, with ourselves as the principal beneficiaries. or whether our lives are open to be being driven by the Holy Spirit, not our own ego; which means a life facing outwards for the good of the world around us. That’s the great fruit of the Holy Spirit. Fr Colin .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Holy Spirit and the Fruit of the Spirit
    LESSON 7 *February 11–17 (page 56 of Standard Edition) The Holy Spirit and the Fruit of the Spirit SABBATH AFTERNOON Read for This Week’s Study: John 15:1–11, Gal. 5:22, 1 Corinthians 13, Rom. 14:17, Eph. 5:9, Matt. 5:5. Memory Text: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22, 23, NASB). he fruit of the Spirit is the true essence of the Christian life. While the apostle Paul lists nine different aspects of this fruit, Tit is nevertheless one fruit and has to be seen in its entirety. The fruit of the Spirit does not tell us what a person might be able to do for God through spiritual gifts and talents. Rather, it shows how the person lives for God. It tells who the person is. All the virtues that are listed in Galatians 5:22, 23 are present in Jesus Christ. Hence, the fruit of the Spirit is the life of Jesus Christ in us, made possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is not something we achieve by purely human effort. It is possible to produce and display some of the same virtues through the exercise of our willpower. But that is not the same as what the Holy Spirit does in us. What we produce ourselves is like a wax fruit compared to the real. Wax fruits are artificial. From a distance they look just as beautiful, but the taste is immeasurably inferior to the real.
    [Show full text]
  • Fruit of the Spirit Bible Scripture Study: Lesson 1: Being Fresh Fruit ( B.F.F)
    Fruit of The Spirit Bible Scripture Study: Lesson 1: Being Fresh Fruit ( B.F.F) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) What is the Purpose of the Fruits of the Spirit? There are two huge things that the Fruits of the Spirit accomplish here on Earth. They give you the power to fulfill your destiny in Christ. Without the Holy Spirit bearing spiritual fruit inside of you, you would be powerless. You wouldn't have the endurance and faithfulness to complete the calling that God has given you. You wouldn't even have the self-discipline to study your Bible or pray. Without the Fruits of the Spirit, the gifts that God has hidden inside of you, would stay locked away forever. They are what God uses to draw people to Himself through you. Do you know anyone who, no matter the situation, always radiates a godly peace - They are unshakable. People in this world are drawn to that kind of peace. With all of the chaos surrounding them every day, they search their entire lives for whatever peace and joy they can get their hands on. They end up trying to fill the void with fleeting counterfeits like alcohol and illicit sex. Things that merely numb their pain for a short while, but leave them longing once again, after the party is over. When they look at you in a time of crisis, and see God's unshakable peace and joy staring back at them through your eyes, they want to know what you know.
    [Show full text]
  • GALATIANS Session 6
    GALATIANS Session 6 141 EXPLORE “SHARE CIRCLE” In your small group of 4-5 members, take turns sharing about your “EXPERIENCE” action points last week. As you recall, your life application for session 5 was to show love to others by demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit to them. Choose one of the following discussion guide questions to help you get started. Have the tallest person in the group be the first to share, the second tallest the second to share, etc. 1. What was the most meaningful experience you had in the process of showing love to others? What made it especially meaningful for you? 2. How did the people you showed love to respond to your initiative? Describe 2 or 3 responses from different people. 3. How did it make you feel doing the action points from the Experience section of the lesson? 142 EXAMINE In Galatians 5 through 6, Paul describes how we are to live by the Spirit as against living in the flesh. The Christian life is walking by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells, works within, and transforms the believer. This is manifested in Christ-like character which is evidenced in our outward expressions and actions. Paul concludes by reminding the Galatians not to boast about, but to live out their redemption. This necessitates the abandonment of worldly ways and desires, embracing the work of Christ that is being completed in us. CHAPTER OUTLINE with the latter part of Chapter 5 included SECTION TOPIC Chapter 5 Verse 16 - 26 Living by the Spirit Chapter 6 Not boasting of self-effort Verses 1 - 5 but in what Christ has done Chapter 6 Sowing and reaping principle; Verses 6 - 10 doing good to all Chapter 6 No longer attracted to the world; Verses 11 - 16 crucified worldly lifestyle Chapter 6 Verse 17 - 18 Concluding remarks Book 3: GALATIANS 143 At times, believers in Jesus can be clueless as to what it means to live the Christian life.
    [Show full text]
  • Pentecost Things to Prepare • the Bible – the Reading from the Acts Of
    Pentecost Things to prepare The Bible – the reading from The Acts of the Apostles 2, 1-11 and John 20, 19-23 A lit candle The table or place where the Bible and candle are placed, is covered with red material A Picture of the fruits of the Holy Spirit Laptop / computer with the links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMQKy1Mx49M&t=34s Ending song (choose one): Holy Spirit fill me up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7GDwNd6uTU Spirit of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOHbZxjOmG0 Holy Spirit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zARVp3420I Prayers (beginning and end) A candle for each person Before we begin, we put aside the mobile phones and anything that may cause distraction. Opening prayer We remember that we are in the holy presence of God. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Sprit. Amen. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. Lord God, we ask you to send your Holy Spirit on our family so that we have the courage and eagerness to do your will. Today we celebrate the birthday of the Church! It is Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples. It is fifty days from Easter, and today, we end Easter Time. In today’s reading we see that the apostles are frightened, but when they receive the Holy Spirit they are filled with courage and they set forth to preach the Good News and lead others to encounter Jesus.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson 5: the Fruit of the Spirit
    JuniorUnit 5Soldiers : Lesson 5 The Fruit of the Spirit PURPOSE : For the children to explore and understand what the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ is, with a particular focus on looking at the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit as a whole and not individually. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.’ Galatians 5:22–23 Consider & Prepare Read: Galati ans 5 Lesson 5 is a part of a short three-lesson series on the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Lesson 5 explains the theology of the fruit of the Spirit. Lesson 6 considers the nature that is developed within us—who we are—as we live in the Spirit. Lesson 7 looks at how the Holy Spirit impacts what we do and how we live our lives more like Jesus. The ‘fruit of the Spirit’ is a biblical phrase that sums up the nine visible att ributes of a true Christi an life, according to Paul’s lett er to the Galati ans, chapter fi ve. Though there are nine att ributes to the fruit of the Spirit, the original Greek term translated as ‘fruit’ is singular, signifying that there is one fruit with nine parts. The fruit exists as a single unit with all parts being important to all believers. At ti mes in the Bible, righteous people are likened to trees (plants, vines), and Paul, in Galati ans 5, explains what fruit a righteous tree bears. Spiritual fruit is a by-product of a spiritual life.
    [Show full text]
  • We Celebrate This Great Feast of Pentecost When the Lord Fulfilled His Promise to Send the Holy Spirit
    We celebrate this great feast of Pentecost when the Lord fulfilled His promise to send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, which is the exchange of life and love between the Father and the Son in the Holy Trinity, and this exchange is so real that it is another divine person of the Holy Trinity. And the action and presence of the Holy Spirit is mysterious, yet the Spirit’s presence and effects can be readily experienced. This is why in the Bible one of the great symbols of the Holy Spirit is the wind because the wind is a good analogy for the presence and action of the Holy Spirit. With the wind, you don’t know where it comes from and you don’t really know where it goes. You cannot follow its path, and yet signs of the presence of the wind are unmistakable: the trees bend, leaves move around, you can hear the sound it makes when it blows, especially when it blows hard. So too with the Holy Spirit. St. Paul gives us signs of the unmistakable evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our souls: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These are the Fruits of the Spirit. I want to take them one-by-one. Love: all through the Easter season, I’ve been talking about love, following the teaching of St. John which we’ve been hearing in the Easter season readings. Just to recap: at the heart of authentic love is self-denial as it expresses itself in following God’s commands, giving ourselves to God, self-sacrificing for others, and receiving the love of others in mutual exchange.
    [Show full text]
  • Fruit of the Spirit – Gentleness International Baptist Church – Eindhoven Tim Plona - 14 November 2010 Fruit of the Spirit
    Fruit of the Spirit – Gentleness International Baptist Church – Eindhoven Tim Plona - 14 November 2010 Fruit of the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) Fruit of the Spirit – A quick review Qualities that Qualities that Qualities that reach out to describe our join us to God those around us inner character Love Patience Faithfulness Joy Kindness Gentleness Peace Goodness Self-control Gentleness ? Gentleness - Greek Original Word: πραΰτης Transliteration: prautés Phonetic Spelling: (prah-oo'-tace) Short Definition: meekness Definition: gentleness Gentleness or Meekness or Humility? New International Version Bible in Basic English …gentleness and self-control. …Gentle behaviour, control Against such things there is no over desires: against such law. there is no law. King James Bible Good News Bible …Meekness, temperance: …humility, and self-control. against such there is no law There is no law against such things as these. New Living Translation …gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Gentleness - Synonyms Gentleness: mildness, calmness, tenderness, placidness, placidity, quietness, softness, lightness, smoothness, mellowness, restfulness, peacefulness, tranquility, From the Latin = Gentilis – of the same people Meekness – Synonyms Meekness: humbleness, quietness, docility, gentleness humility, modesty, mildness timidity, submissiveness From the Old Norse = soft, pliable “meek as a mouse” Very interchangeable Gentleness Meekness Humility QUESTION: Name two persons from the Bible who were called meek, humble or gentle? Answer 1: Jesus Matthew 11:28-30. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tongan Pentecost of 1834 : a Revival in the Kingdom of Tonga
    ABSTRACT The Tongan Pentecost of 1834: A Revival in the Kingdom of Tonga: A Possible Key for Renewal and Unity for the Tongan Church Today by Manase Koloamatangi Tafea The Tongan Pentecost was a revival that took place in the kingdom of Tonga ' when Aisea Vovole Latu preached in the village of 'Utui in 1 834. During the service the Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way empowering the congregation until prayers, singing, and testimonies began in such a way that the preacher could not control them. The fire of the Holy Spirit which started in 'Utui spread within a month to all the islands in the Tonga group. The king and the people were converted, resulting in unity and a new motivation for mission and evangelism. After a year the momentum of this Tongan Pentecost spread to the other Pacific islands, first to the Fijian and Samoan groups. Although the Tongan people today tend to remember the history of the 1 834 Tongan Pentecost, their experience of the Holy Spirit is, by and large, limited and perfunctory resulting in division and lack of purpose. Therefore, the purpose of this project dissertation is to rediscover how the Tongan Pentecost of 1 834 affected the Tongan worldview, establishing a sense of unity and mission, and to see if a fresh encounter with the Holy Spirit can renew that sense of unity and mission today. In this project I examined the history of the 1834 experience. With a questionnaire I discovered: (1) that the experience actually happened; (2) that the experience created unity and purpose; and, (3) that the experience could be renewed so the Tongan church can be reunited and motivated toward mission and evangelism.
    [Show full text]
  • The Essentials of the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit
    THE ESSENTIALS OF THE GIFTS AND FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT • Definition: • Supernatural enablings given to Christians by God’s Holy Spirit for the purpose of accomplishing the works that God has given each of us to do for bringing about His Kingdom and His glory • Often referred to as gifts, talents, abilities THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT • Scriptures: Ephesians 4:11-16 Roman 12:-8 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 Copyright © Dr. Michael D. Wedman 1 THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT • Given to Christians by the Holy Spirit • Supernatural enablings • For the building up of the body of Christ • For the maturation of the body of Christ • For the unity of the body of Christ THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT • To prepare God’s people for works of service • For doing the works of God • To be used with all strength and passion for the Kingdom of God • All of the gifts have an important place in the body of Christ THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Definition: Character qualities that are developed in a Christian’s life by the Holy Spirit as a Christian walks in relationship with Jesus. Copyright © Dr. Michael D. Wedman 2 THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 9 character qualities: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT NOTE! The fruit of the Spirit is singular! It is a single fruit, not 9 separate fruits THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT The Context of the Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:16-26 Copyright © Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Reflections on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit for Parents and Teens
    Reflections on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit for Parents and Teens Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Apostolic Tradition of the Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church #1832 States “The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: charity, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.” Saint Paul wrote in letter to the Galatians 5:22-26 In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another. The Catechism lists charity while Saint Paul wrote love. Charity and Love are one in the same. Most of the following statements are derived from “A Brief Treatise on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit—Community in Mission,” by Msgr. Charles Pope, January 27, 2013. Msgr. Pope ends his treatise with the Sequence Hymn for Pentecost which says of the Holy Spirit: Flecte quod est rigidum (Bend what is rigid); fove quod est frigidum (Warm what is cold); rege quod est devium (Rule what deviates). Text by Arnoldo Rodriquez © 2018, Pflaum Publishing Group, a division of Bayard, Inc. All rights reserved. Reflections on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit for Parents and Teens Charity—giving ourselves unconditionally for the good of another.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fruit of the Holy Spirit | LUMC | Galatian 5:16-26 | June 13, 2021 by Rev Grace Kanake We Have Been on an Exciting Journey R
    Rev Grace Kanake, Sermon The Fruit of the Holy Spirit | LUMC | Galatian 5:16-26 | June 13, 2021 By Rev Grace Kanake We have been on an exciting journey reviewing our relationship with the Holy Spirit, our helper and counselor. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit shortly before his ascension to God. The Holy Spirit continues to accompany us in our spiritual life. On May 23rd, the day of Pentecost, we celebrated the Holy Spirit’s 2021 birthday. We continue to enjoy the feeling of being infilled and being accompanied; it wears away loneliness. Today’s reading reminds us that the human spirit or desires of the flesh can override the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit and leave us on our own. Last week St Paul reminded us that these gifts are awarded following our devotion and commitment to God. Today, we continue to listen to St Paul analyzing the fruit born by those who possess the Holy Spirit. We know St Paul is speaking from experience when he narrates the human sinful nature that is the polar opposite of Christian ethical living. Let us not confuse the Fruit of Spirit with human made virtues that Aristotle, a Greek philosopher theorized can be acquired through practice. Our goal today is to understand the fruit of Spirit and use the fruit for mission. Paul is the founder of the church in Galatia, a city in Turkey, sometime between 49 and 55 AD. This church faced a cultural crisis and requested St Paul to help solve the crisis that was provoked by the Jews who comprised a majority in the church.
    [Show full text]
  • Fruit of the Holy Spirit
    Fruit Of The Holy Spirit ‘The fruit of the Holy Spirit (the work which His presence within us accomplishes) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness), self-control (self-discipline); against such things there is no law’ (Galatians 5:22 & 23). ‘The fruit (the effect or the product) of the Light (the Holy Spirit) is in all kindly goodness, righteousness of heart and truth’ (Ephesians 5:9). The fruit of the Holy Spirit is from the Holy Spirit, and it is the will of God for every believer to bring forth His fruit. Jesus said we can easily know the difference between a believer and a non-believer by their fruit (Matthew 7:16 to 20); that is their attitudes and actions. There is also a difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. Gifts are received with one swift transaction and they are freely given. Fruit on the other hand, comes by a process of gradual growth and the fruit needs to be cultivated. To highlight the differences between the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, we can look at two types of tree; a fruit tree bearing fruit, and a Christmas tree bearing gifts. The fruit from the fruit tree comes by a process of cultivation and gradual growth. The gifts from a Christmas tree are taken by a single brief act, then the gifts are received and used. Spiritual gifts represent our ability, while Spiritual fruit represents our character. Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit takes hard work. ‘The hard-working farmer (or labourer) must be the first to partake of the fruit’ (2 Timothy 2:6).
    [Show full text]