Deacon Greg's Homily 6-11-17
Here's a riddle: What can you hear and feel, but not see or hold?
The wind, of course! (and Thunder as one parishioner told me on the way out...) 😁
In Greek it is Pneuma, and in Hebrew it is Rûah, each meaning "wind" and "spirit." Many even define it as "the breath of God," for as this wind and spirit enter a moment, something is always created out of the mystery!
The Breath of God comes to us from the Father...
The Rûah in Genesis depicts the moment of creation as "a mighty wind" sweeping over the waters. The Book of Ecclesiastes offers that, "Just as you do not know how the life breath enters the human frame in the mother’s womb, So you do not know the work of God, who is working in everything." The Prophet Ezekiel tells of the Lord saying to the dry bones in the desert, "Listen, [and] I will make breath enter you so you may come to life."
God has given us our life's breath, and he has entered our lives so that we might live this life to the fullest. In our first reading, He revealed himself to Moses, using his name that is beyond comprehension, passing before him proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity." All the terms describe God’s relationship with us. God our Father, is merciful and gracious in accepting us in spite of our flawed existence. He is slow to anger and rich in kindness as He waits for us, like the father waited for his prodigal son. But above all, the fidelity of God’s covenant is primary… I will be your God, and you will be my people, says the Lord.
The Breath of God comes to us from the Son...
In our Gospel today, we hear of the Rûah of the Incarnation, or the coming of Jesus Christ, as “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. God GAVE his Son to the world when the Angel Gabriel conveyed to the Blessed Mother that, “The holy Spirit will come upon [her], and the power of the Most High will overshadow [her]. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." God also GAVE His Son “over to death” in the crucifixion which again gave us life, for as Jesus "bowed his head, he handed over the Spirit." This movement of wind and spirit brings life to all, or does it?
The Gospel seems to offer a harsh condition when it says, "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Be careful not to interpret this in a way that gives you or I the power of deciding on membership.
Rather, look it more as a description of the Lord's judgment. Remember, God our Father, is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger and rich in kindness. We do not have a God who will ignore billions on this planet because they are not "a member". Jesus’ purpose is to save all, and all are given the opportunity to know, love and serve him... IN GOD's TIME and PLACE. Turning away from the love of the Gospel, once you've seen it's Truth, does deprive us of its goodness, but the mystery of God and our journey with it will be there when we return. Early in John's Gospel, Jesus himself says, "The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes..." So the mystery of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is not ours to define. The Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, and the light that enlightens them... God has revealed himself to [us] and reconciles and unites us with himself, calling on us to turn away from sin, and share the Good News of the Gospel!
Which brings us here today. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." Paul's conclusion of his letters to the Corinthians, in our second reading, shows that the Church has embraced the mystery of the Trinity since the beginning, for it is important to note that Paul's writings are actually older than the writings of the Gospel, penned within a period of three decades or so of the resurrection.
The Breath of God comes to us from the Spirit...
The Rûah of Pentecost and Discipleship asks us all to be the hands and feet of Christ, and the love of God for all to see. So when the Holy Spirit descended upon us "like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house [where we] were," it heralded a new action of God in the history of salvation. God has once again interacted in our lives, creating for us a new day to help the wind blow where it will. Like his breath gave us life, and his Son gives us salvation, the Spirit of the Lord has given us the gifts of knowledge, understanding, wisdom, courage, right judgement, reverence and the wonder and awe that comes with it all, to be lived out as Church. For we are ALL children of God, our gracious and loving Father, called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, empowered with gifts of the Holy Spirit to accept the Mission of making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...
The wind, of course! (and Thunder as one parishioner told me on the way out...) 😁
In Greek it is Pneuma, and in Hebrew it is Rûah, each meaning "wind" and "spirit." Many even define it as "the breath of God," for as this wind and spirit enter a moment, something is always created out of the mystery!
The Breath of God comes to us from the Father...
The Rûah in Genesis depicts the moment of creation as "a mighty wind" sweeping over the waters. The Book of Ecclesiastes offers that, "Just as you do not know how the life breath enters the human frame in the mother’s womb, So you do not know the work of God, who is working in everything." The Prophet Ezekiel tells of the Lord saying to the dry bones in the desert, "Listen, [and] I will make breath enter you so you may come to life."
God has given us our life's breath, and he has entered our lives so that we might live this life to the fullest. In our first reading, He revealed himself to Moses, using his name that is beyond comprehension, passing before him proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity." All the terms describe God’s relationship with us. God our Father, is merciful and gracious in accepting us in spite of our flawed existence. He is slow to anger and rich in kindness as He waits for us, like the father waited for his prodigal son. But above all, the fidelity of God’s covenant is primary… I will be your God, and you will be my people, says the Lord.
The Breath of God comes to us from the Son...
In our Gospel today, we hear of the Rûah of the Incarnation, or the coming of Jesus Christ, as “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. God GAVE his Son to the world when the Angel Gabriel conveyed to the Blessed Mother that, “The holy Spirit will come upon [her], and the power of the Most High will overshadow [her]. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." God also GAVE His Son “over to death” in the crucifixion which again gave us life, for as Jesus "bowed his head, he handed over the Spirit." This movement of wind and spirit brings life to all, or does it?
The Gospel seems to offer a harsh condition when it says, "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Be careful not to interpret this in a way that gives you or I the power of deciding on membership.
Rather, look it more as a description of the Lord's judgment. Remember, God our Father, is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger and rich in kindness. We do not have a God who will ignore billions on this planet because they are not "a member". Jesus’ purpose is to save all, and all are given the opportunity to know, love and serve him... IN GOD's TIME and PLACE. Turning away from the love of the Gospel, once you've seen it's Truth, does deprive us of its goodness, but the mystery of God and our journey with it will be there when we return. Early in John's Gospel, Jesus himself says, "The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes..." So the mystery of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is not ours to define. The Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, and the light that enlightens them... God has revealed himself to [us] and reconciles and unites us with himself, calling on us to turn away from sin, and share the Good News of the Gospel!
Which brings us here today. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." Paul's conclusion of his letters to the Corinthians, in our second reading, shows that the Church has embraced the mystery of the Trinity since the beginning, for it is important to note that Paul's writings are actually older than the writings of the Gospel, penned within a period of three decades or so of the resurrection.
The Breath of God comes to us from the Spirit...
The Rûah of Pentecost and Discipleship asks us all to be the hands and feet of Christ, and the love of God for all to see. So when the Holy Spirit descended upon us "like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house [where we] were," it heralded a new action of God in the history of salvation. God has once again interacted in our lives, creating for us a new day to help the wind blow where it will. Like his breath gave us life, and his Son gives us salvation, the Spirit of the Lord has given us the gifts of knowledge, understanding, wisdom, courage, right judgement, reverence and the wonder and awe that comes with it all, to be lived out as Church. For we are ALL children of God, our gracious and loving Father, called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, empowered with gifts of the Holy Spirit to accept the Mission of making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...
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