“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”
(Acts 1:8)
“If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
What a great movie line. Although the Star Wars mythology is mixed up with some strange and confused gnostic ideas, the story of sacrificing oneself and handing on power is a deeply moving one.
How much greater is the reality – the truth revealed in the life, death, glorious Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ, and his gift of the Holy Spirit. This is no cleverly concocted myth. As we read in the second letter of St. Peter: “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)
Jesus Christ freely laid down his life for us. He was raised up in glory. For forty days, he appeared to the apostles in the flesh, and they testified and laid down their lives to spread this saving Gospel. After forty days, he ascended in bodily form to the glory of God where “he is seated at the right hand of the Father.” And he promised to send the power of the Holy Spirit upon us.
This is the Gospel we have received, and the mystery we celebrate in these holy days.
We have received power from God, a participation in the very power of Jesus Christ – in his kingship and glory – through the Holy Spirit poured upon us in Baptism and Confirmation.
“Is it plugged in?” That’s the first question we asked when some appliance is not working.
We are no mere appliances, but through the grace of the sacraments, we are truly “plugged in” and connected to the power of God’s own life and love. If we have broken that connection through mortal sin, God reaches out through the same Holy Spirit to convict our hearts and draw us back through the Sacrament of Confession. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” Jesus said to his apostles on that Easter day, “whose sins you forgive are forgiven them.” (John 20:22-23)
“Is it turned on?” There’s the second question we ask when something isn’t working. We may be fully plugged into God’s grace, yet slow and sluggish to let the power of his Spirit shine forth in us.
The Apostles were bold after they received the Holy Spirit. Up to that point, they remained fearful, locked in the Upper Room. But on the day of Pentecost, they came forth, boldly speaking the truth about Jesus Christ in all the languages of the people. This bold proclamation of the truth has reached us. This power of the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us.
St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians that, “living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15).
“Living the truth in love.” Here is where our boldness in Christ is made visible. This is what the power of the Holy Spirit accomplishes in us, that we should “grow in every way into…Christ.”
“Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20)
-Fr. Tom.