One of the things I’ve noticed as I get older is that there are certain gifts in my life that I appreciate more and more. Not because they are new, but because I finally realize how precious they have always been. One of those gifts is education. What a blessing it is to have been taught to read and write, to think, to ask questions, to have a curious mind. How fortunate I was to have people invest in me and encourage me to learn. And the amazing thing is that the process of acquiring knowledge never really stops. Even though my formal education ended years ago, hardly a day goes by that I don’t learn something new. Sometimes it’s something profound. Sometimes it’s completely random. But there is still excitement and satisfaction in discovering more of the world and more of the truth.
Another gift I appreciate more with the passage of time is my family, especially my parents. As you get older and experience more of life, you begin to realize just how foundational those relationships are. Before we ever accomplished anything… before we earned anything… we were given a family. We were loved into existence. So much of who we are was formed by people who sacrificed for us long before we even noticed it. And how comforting to have a set of relationships that are steadfast, no matter what!
Then there is my faith! The older I get, the more grateful I become for being Catholic. What an incredible gift it is to belong to a faith that is inexhaustible. After years of studying theology, preaching, praying, celebrating the sacraments, and trying to grow in relationship with God, I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. God continues to reveal deeper dimensions of Himself. There are still new insights, new moments of grace, new ways that the Lord surprises me and enriches my life and the lives of the people I serve.
That is especially true when I think about the Holy Spirit. When I was younger, I thought of the Holy Spirit as an abstract concept or awkward wallflower of the Trinity. But over time, I’ve come to appreciate how active, powerful, and personal the Holy Spirit really is. There are constantly new dimensions of His gifts and power being revealed as I continue my journey as a Christian and as a priest.
The revelation of that gift is what Pentecost is all about.
Today we celebrate the moment when frightened, confused apostles were transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Think about where they were before Pentecost. Hiding. Fearful. Uncertain. Jesus had risen from the dead, appeared to them repeatedly, and yet they still struggled to move forward with courage. Then suddenly, with the sound of a mighty wind and tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit fills them. With that everything changes.
The same men who locked themselves in the upper room suddenly burst out into the streets proclaiming Jesus Christ fearlessly. Peter…the one who denied Jesus three times…is preaching boldly to crowds. The apostles become courageous, joyful, unstoppable. What happened? They finally possessed what had already been given to them.
Years ago I read about Ira Yates, a Texas rancher during the Depression who struggled financially while sitting on one of the richest oil reserves in the country. Oil had been under his land the entire time. He owned it all along. But he lived in poverty because he never tapped into it. I think that image fits Pentecost perfectly, especially for us Catholics! So many of us are standing on top of incredible spiritual riches that we barely use.
At baptism and confirmation, the Holy Spirit was poured into our lives. Not symbolically. Not poetically. Actually! The same Spirit who descended upon the apostles has been given to you and me. The wisdom, courage, strength, peace, understanding, joy, and power of God Himself dwelling within us. And yet how often do we live like spiritual paupers?
How often do we settle for surface-level faith? How often do we only turn to the Holy Spirit in emergencies? “Help me pass this test. Help me survive this surgery. Help me get through this meeting.” Meanwhile the Spirit wants to do infinitely more than simply help us survive difficult moments.
The Holy Spirit wants to transform us. He wants to deepen our prayer. Strengthen our marriages. Heal old wounds. Give us courage. Help us forgive. Make us saints. Help us become people who radiate Christ in ordinary daily life.
Maybe that is the invitation of Pentecost this year: to stop living on the surface of our spiritual lives. To stop standing above the riches of God without drilling deeper.
Underneath the ordinary ground of our everyday lives is the limitless grace of the Holy Spirit! The question is not whether the gift is there but rather if we are willing to go deeper.
The Holy Spirit is not gone or used up. God is not finished with you. There are still new depths of grace, wisdom, courage, and holiness waiting to be discovered. The only thing that limits what God can do in us is our willingness to open our hearts.
Today, with the whole Church, we pray once again: Come, Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful. Renew the face of the earth. And begin by renewing each of us!
