20210510 THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE PRINCIPAL AGENT OF EVANGELIZATION
10 May, 2021, Monday, 6th Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 16:11-15 © |
The Lord opened Lydia's heart to accept what Paul was saying
Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised she sent us an invitation: ‘If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,’ she said ‘come and stay with us’; and she would take no refusal.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 149:1-6,9 © |
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its Maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips:
this honour is for all his faithful.
The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Lk24:46,26 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
It was ordained that the Christ should suffer
and rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn15:26,27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Spirit of truth will be my witness;
and you too will be my witnesses.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 15:26-16:4 © |
The Spirit of truth will be my witness
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘When the Advocate comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses,
because you have been with me from the outset.
‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken.
They will expel you from the synagogues,
and indeed the hour is coming
when anyone who kills you
will think he is doing a holy duty for God.
They will do these things
because they have never known
either the Father or myself.
But I have told you all this,
so that when the time for it comes
you may remember that I told you.’
THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE PRINCIPAL AGENT OF EVANGELIZATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 16:11-15; PS 149:1-6,9; JOHN 15:26-16:4]
When St John wrote the gospel, the early Christian community was already facing persecution by the Jews. In A.D. 70, the Christian Jews were expelled from the synagogue. Many of them were marginalized and excluded from the larger community as well. St John, writing in AD 90, wanted to remind the Christians that such persecutions should be expected. The Lord had already forewarned them. “I have told you all this so that your faith may not be shaken. They will expel you from the synagogues, and indeed the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is doing a holy duty for God. But I have told you all this, so that when the time for it comes you may remember that I told you.”
At the same time, they were not alone in their struggles. St John wanted to assure them that the Lord was with them in the Holy Spiritwhich He promised to send from the Father. “When the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with me from the outset.” Indeed, the work of evangelization is not a human enterprise. It is the work of God carried out principally by the Holy Spirit who inspires and empowers the disciples of Christ to be witnesses in the world. Disciples of Christ, therefore, must be mindful that they do not undertake the mission without relying on the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the principal agent of the work of evangelization, not the ingenuity of man. Pope Paul VI in his encyclical, Evangelii Nuntiandi, no 75 wrote, “Techniques of evangelization are good, but even the most advanced ones could not replace the gentle action of the Spirit. The most perfect preparation of the evangelizer has no effect without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit the most convincing dialectic has no power over the heart of man. Without Him the most highly developed schemas resting on a sociological or psychological basis are quickly seen to be quite valueless.” Indeed, we must not reduce the mission of the Church into a secular mission where success is measured by productivity, talented and resourceful leaders, eloquent and inspiring teachers or the use of technology, sound, music, digital videos, lightnings, etc. This was how the early Church witnessed to the gospel; when the apostles were threatened by the religious leaders not to speak about Jesus, they gathered together with the community to pray. “‘Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29-31)
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. He is our advocate and counsellor. He is the One who teaches us all that Jesus had taught us. He does not teach us new things since Christ is the fullness of revelation but He makes all things new. The Lord told the disciples, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (Jn 16:12f) St Paul wrote, “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.” (1 Cor 2:11-13) This explains why the world rejects Jesus and persecutes us because as our Lord forewarned us, “They will do these things because they have never known either the Father or myself.”
Through the Holy Spirit, we come to understand deeper and better what the Lord has revealed to us. As Vatican II in Dei Verbum teaches, “This tradition which comes from the Apostles develop in the Church with the help of the Holy Spirit. For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by believers, who treasure these things in their hearts (see Luke, 2:19, 51) through a penetrating understanding of the spiritual realities which they experience, and through the preaching of those who have received through Episcopal succession the sure gift of truth. For as the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete fulfillment in her.” (Dei Verbum, 8)
The Holy Spirit is the one that inspires us in our minds and put the right words onto our lips so that we can speak the truth with clarity and conviction. When the evangelizer allows himself to be placed under the gentle influence of the Holy Spirit, he will utter words of wisdom that he would never have thought of, or consoling and wise words of counsel that he never planned. That was why the Lord told the disciples, “When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Mt 10:19f) Indeed, we read that the Sanhedrin, hearing Peter and John speak in defence of Christ with boldness, “realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)
The Holy Spirit is the One that opens the heart of the listeners and convict them of their sins. This was what happened in today’s first reading when the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to accept the Word of God preached to her by St Paul. Only the Holy Spirit can open our hearts and touch us. This is why we can proclaim the same message and yet not all can respond radically. How responsive one is depends on how open one’s heart is; it has nothing to do with one’s social or intellectual status. The Lord said that when the Holy Spirit comes, “he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” (Jn 16:8) We can read the Word of God but it will not strike our hearts unless we are inspired by the Holy Spirit.
This is why it is important to ask for the Holy Spirit’s assistance in listening to Him and searching for the truth as we read the signs of the time. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, “He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'” Docility and attentive listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit is critical for the work of discernment and seeking direction in responding to the call of our Lord. We must place ourselves under His inspiration. In our mission, the Holy Spirit plays a critical role. Hence, we can appreciate why Pentecost is the beginning of the mission of the Church.
So let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit following the example of Lydia. The Holy Spirit does not force His way into our hearts but we must be willing to cooperate with His grace. We need to make time to pray, to quiet ourselves with the Bible on our side and speak to Him from the depths of our heart, listening to Him, reading the scriptures for inspiration when prompted and keeping the ears of our hearts open. Indeed, when we begin to listen from our heart, the Lord will plant His thoughts in us and move our hearts to respond to His voice. When we listen to Him deeply, we will also experience deep joy and peace. For the Holy Spirit is given to us in our weakness so that we can have the strength to bear the trials of the apostolate. For as the Lord tells us as well, when the Spirit comes, He will give us a peace that the world cannot give, a joy that is complete and a love that dwells in our hearts, so that remaining in Him, and He living in us, we will be able to transmit His love to others.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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