Pepe, a young man and only son from a wealthy family was about to
graduate from high school. It was the custom in that affluent neighborhood for
the parents to give their graduating child an automobile. Pepe and his Daddy
had spent months looking at cars, and at last a week before the graduation,
they found one that Pepe liked so much, and the Dad promised to buy him the
car.
On the day of the
graduation, Pepe was expecting to receive a car key from the father but
instead, he handed him a Bible wrapped in a beautiful souvenir paper The young
man was so angry that he threw the Bible down, spat on it and broke a couple of
glasses as stormed out of the house in sadness. He never wanted to see the Dad again.
But it was the news of his father's death that brought him home.
As he sat one
night going through his father's possessions that he was to inherit, he came
across the Bible his father had given him on his day of graduation. He brushed
away the dust and opened it to find a cashier's check, dated the day of his
graduation – it has the exact amount of the car the Dad promised to give him as
graduation gift. Pepe was stunned and sat there with his mind shattered. His
father had kept his promise but had it enclosed in the Word of God. By doing
this, he wanted his son to know that more beautiful things and great blessings
will come his way if he pays more attention to the Word of God. Besides, if we
realize what we need, we shall find what we want. Pepe needs God in order not
just to have a car he likes but to live the kind of live he needs – life more
meaningful, happy and fulfilled..
We are already at
the sixth Sunday of Easter and a few days away from the Ascension of Christ
into Heaven. In his farewell address, he made us a promise like Pepe’s father
did, “…The Advocate/Paraclete, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my
name, will instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I told you.” God
gives us what we want in life but encloses it in what we need; we only have to
be a little bit more matured and patience to discover it. We may be eloquent
preachers, we may have beautiful cathedrals/Churches, we may have wonderful
youth and adult program in our parish community; we may also have wonderful
jobs, the marriage partner of our choice, and we may have the children we
desire. Probably we may have been ordained as priests by the Pope surrounded by
many cardinals and archbishops, or it was the Papal Nuncio that presided at our
first and final professions as religious women and men. All these are like the
gift on the day of our graduation but enclosed in the Word of God, which gives
meaning and greatest value to whoever we are, and whatever we have and do. Like
an 18 years old person (especially here in Europe and in America) is expected
to start looking after him/herself, so Jesus Christ is preparing to ascend to
heaven that we may take more responsibility to continue his mission of creating
a better world, healthy families and ennobling environment for peace and
progress in a world divided by war and violence of all kinds. He promises to be
with us always even when we do not see him face to face; he lives in us through
the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the courage and enthusiasm that keep us
going even in the most difficult situations in our lives. He is the source of
consolation in time of sorrow, our reason for joy in the midst of suffering,
our point of unity in place of division, and our desire to love even people we
don’t really know. He is that fire that burns within us and make us accept
enormous challenges and sacrifices for the good of others.
There are
important signs of the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit in the
readings of today. The first is that he makes understand that the practice of
faith is not meant to be a heavy burden on people and that religion is not
supposed to bring disunity, acrimony, jealousy and fear. Hence in the Gospel
Jesus noted that The Holy Spirit – The Advocate, will instruct us (when we
gather as a Church) in everything, and remind us what he teaches us about
forgiveness, love, unity, service, self-sacrifice, unselfishness, faith,
humility, judging others by our personal standards, mercy, generosity and
hospitality. Secondly, we see the early Church resolve the strife or dispute
that started in a local Christian Community. They sought the direction of the
Holy Spirit. They first gathered in deep prayer after which they allowed
everyone to speak freely as the Spirit directs. They say, “the decision of the Holy Spirit and ours too.” Thirdly, John
describes how he was carried by the same spirit to see the grandeur and
resplendence of God in creation. Why do we have many Christian Churches
