Today is a very special day. It is Pentecost Sunday,
which is also known as the “birthday of the Church.” This may seem a little odd at first, but think
about what has been going on in these fifty days since the
resurrection. The apostles are still struggling to be brave and keep their
faith in the Risen Lord. Even though time and time again Jesus has appeared to them,
reassured them, and even scolded them for their lack of faith. Then,
just as they were getting used to the idea of Jesus, risen from the dead, they
witness His ascension into heaven. So here they are, feeling alone again.
Locked in the upper room not quite certain what to do. Not quite ready to spread the good news of
Jesus Christ to the whole world.
As
they were sitting in one room, hiding, there was a loud noise,
like a strong wind, and the sound caused the people of Jerusalem to gather around the
house to see what was going on. What happens next should be amazing to us. This
noise is the sound of the Holy Spirit, who comes down upon the
Apostles and completely transforms
them! These are the same men who were frightened, confused and in hiding for
the last 50 days but look at what they do! They
proclaim the message of the gospel to all the Jews who have gathered around the house. Remember,
these are the
same men who fled in fear when Jesus was arrested. One of them denied Jesus
three times!! All of them hid in the upper room for many days after the death
and resurrection of Christ. But now here they are right
in the midst of
the people that had frightened them, fearlessly proclaiming the gospel
and telling everyone about the mighty acts of God through his Son, Jesus Christ.
They suddenly speak different languages. They are convincing and courageous. This
coming of the Spirit, this gift at Pentecost is truly powerful!!
There could be a danger to read this scripture and think, “this is
a nice story, but it doesn’t have much to do with me and my faith.”
Far too often, we see Pentecost
simply as a one-time historical event. We fail to realize that Christ has given
the gift of the Holy Spirit to each of
us, to the entire Church when we were baptized. All of the gifts,
all of the power we celebrate this Pentecost Weekend is also available to us.
While it might not be as dramatic as tongues of fire or a mighty wind, the Holy
Spirit is here; working and waiting to be called upon in our everyday lives.
Far too often, we are unaware of the presence of this third person of the
Trinity and we leave the gifts of the Holy Spirit unused, untapped in our
lives. And this reminds me of an interesting story that took
place in this country about 80 years ago.
In
West Texas, there is a famous oil field known as the Yates Pool. During the
Depression, this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Ira Yates. Mr.
Yates was not able to make enough money on his ranching operation to pay the
principal and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his
ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family, like many others, had
to live on welfare.
Day
after day, as he grazed his sheep on the rolling West Texas hills, he must have
worried about how he would pay his bills. Then a crew from an oil company came
into the area and told Mr. Yates that there might be oil on his land. They
asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract. At
1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000
barrels a day. The following wells were more than twice as large. In fact,
thirty years after the discovery, a test on one of the wells showed that it
still had the potential of 125,000 barrels of oil a day.
Mr.
Yates owned it all! The day he purchased the land he received the oil and
mineral rights. Yet, he had been living on government subsidies. A
multi-millionaire living in poverty! The problem? He didn't know the oil was
there. He owned it, but he did not possess it.
Oftentimes
we Christians are similar to Ira Yates in regards to the Holy Spirit. From the
moment we were baptized we were given the rights to all the spiritual riches
that were showered on the Church at Pentecost. We have access to all of the
spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has to offer. Instead, how often we stay on the
surface, using the Holy Spirit like the traffic Law Center, only asking him to
get us out of trouble or get us through something difficult? How often do we
ask the Spirit for something positive in our daily lives, like to do our work
for God's glory or to say the words that will build people up or bring them
closer to God? Are we, like Mr. Yates, living in spiritual poverty because we
are unaware or unwilling to dig deeper for those divine riches that are waiting
beneath our feet?!
People
of St. Michael, if someone told you that there was limitless oil under your
backyard, you wouldn’t hesitate to start drilling, even if it is only trading
at $45 a barrel. As a matter of fact, if you decided to leave that oil untapped
and unused I would have to say you would be downright foolish. How much more
with the Holy Spirit! We have an immeasurable treasure under our very noses!
The Holy Spirit is like spiritual oil that is waiting underneath the ground of
our everyday lives. It is inexhaustible, free, and waiting for us. If we are
willing to dig a little deeper in our prayer; if we are willing to drill the
depths of our hearts, we can become incredibly rich with the grace, joy, and
peace that only God can offer us. May we become a people of Pentecost; people
who are full of the Holy Spirit, just like the Apostles. May we be fearless,
generous, and loving and may our lives be a constant prayer that says “Come
Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and renew the face of the Earth.”
