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PENTECOST SUNDAY
Gospel Jn 20:19-23
The Spirit, New Law of the Christian
Introduction
The Spirit is the new law, the force that leads us to do good. The Spirit is the source of unity. It pulls down barriers and wherever it enters it destroys sin. Today’s gospel tells us of the first meeting of the Risen Lord and his disciples. John says that it was at this meeting that Jesus imparted his Spirit to the apostles by breathing on them.
The Evil Spirit
The people of Israel believed that people misbehaved because they harboured an evil spirit. They were convinced that only God could expel that spirit from a person and breathe in a good one. We all experience the evil spirit in and around ourselves. It is that force that urges us to lie, get drunk, commit adultery, steal, hate, reject others and so on. When will God take all this evil out of us? When shall we be filled with the Spirit of God that urges us to love, to forgive, to do good?
Inner Transformation
The New Testament tells us that this interior transformation is brought about by baptism. Have we experienced this? Can we say that we have experienced this conversion? How many of us have experienced this interior compelling force inviting us to live like Christ? Have we “put on Christ?” Often when we examine our own lives, we find ourselves admitting that we commit injustice, hate, and other evil things just as we did before our baptism. Does this mean that the Spirit is not at work in us? The Spirit develops like a small seed in our hearts. It grows slowly and silently, but eventually yields fruit, when we are open to the Spirit’s promptings.
Forgiveness, the Fruit of the Spirit
The last sentence of the gospel text speaks of the forgiveness of sins (Jn 20:23), which is fruit of the presence of the Spirit in us that brings about the destruction of sin. The Spirit that Jesus gave to his disciples is not a privilege for themselves alone, it must be passed on to others. We are to bring that Spirit of mercy to all we meet.
Adapted from:
Celebrating the Word Year A
By Fernando Armellini
Paulines Publications
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