Homily Second Monday of Easter (Acts 4:23-31) “Have We Opened the Gifts of the Spirit?”
Homily Second Monday of Easter (Acts 4:23-31) “Have We Opened the Gifts of the Spirit?”
This evening we will have confirmation at Sacred Heart Parish. In the confirmation ritual the bishop will pray over the candidates asking that they will be given the gifts of the Spirit. Gifts like wisdom and understanding and right judgement.
Somehow it has always seemed to me to be a little presumptuous to pray over people asking that they be given the gifts of the Spirit. It would seem like we are saying we can control this. Will the 8th graders who will leave church be endowed with a spiritual knowledge that they did not have before?
If it is like my ordination, I did not feel like a completely different person the day after my ordination. I was still aware of my weaknesses. I still struggled with the same deadly sins. The commitment I made has been something that has stretched me. My ordination promise is something that I have had to grow into. Many graces have come my way and I have had ministerial successes that were due, I believe, to the Spirit’s work in my ministry.
What we hope for is that the confirmation candidates will have a greater responsiveness to the Spirit in the future. If they can open their hearts to the prompting of the Spirit, that would be a wonderful result of the confirmation process.
The disciples opened their lives to new challenges. They took chances they never would have taken earlier in their lives. The apostles found courage to witness for Christ even at the risk of their own lives. The Spirit literally shook the building they were praying in.
Confirmation can light a fuse that can burn in a person’s life until an explosion of grace can happen. We never know when that might occur. But our faith tells us that it can.
Reflection Questions:
- How did my confirmation touch my life? Can the graces of the sacrament be realized more fully later?
- The apostles seem to change after the Resurrection and Pentecost? What were those changes?
Dear Parishioners,
Remember to pray for our Confirmation candidates tonight. It is always a grace to have a bishop come to our parish. Bishop Lou did three confirmations and visited Alleman High School this weekend. He is really getting around which can only help him in his ministry. I am sure we all appreciate his zeal.
We are still disposing of things from the rectory. We have six dining room chairs we would like to give away. They need to be restored and reupholstered. If you are interested in them, please call our office.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark