[stephenkhoo]

16 April, 2012, Second Monday of Easter
BAPTISM GIVES US THE HOLY SPIRIT AND PRODUCES TRANSFORMING EFFECTS

SCRIPTURE READINGS: ACTS 4:23-31; JN 3:1-8

Today’s first reading is remarkable because of the display of absolute confidence of the apostles in the Lord in spite of having been arrested. Instead of retreating or being resentful that they were rejected by the Jewish leaders, they asked instead for greater courage to proclaim the gospel as they prayed, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats and help your servants to proclaim your message with all boldness.”

At the same time, they prayed with expectant faith that not only will God assist them, but that He will also testify to the truth of their message with signs and wonders. Thus they asked the Lord to stretch out His hand “to heal and to work miracles and marvels through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” So fervent were their prayers that “as they prayed, the house where they were assembled rocked.” As a consequence of such a lively faith, we read that “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the word of God boldly.”

Today, we are far from having the conviction and enthusiasm of the apostles. Some of us no longer believe in miracles and healings. We do not expect the Lord to work wonders in our churches and in our lives. We trust more in our ingenious planning than in the Lord working in and through us. Others lack courage to proclaim the gospel especially where the truth of the gospel requires us to do so, for fear of persecution and suffering. Even when it comes to prayer, we pray not only without faith, but often also without a heart. We drag ourselves to prayer and certainly, our worship often does not resonate with the same faith-filled enthusiasm of the primitive Church! Indeed, today, the gospel is often not preached in our churches with power and in the Spirit. Without the Spirit of Jesus in us, the Church becomes another institution; the gospel becomes an ideology and the sacraments mere rituals.

What is the secret of the faith, courage and zeal of the apostles? Perhaps, we can learn from Nicodemus when he said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.” Indeed, it is true that unless God is with Jesus, the Lord would not be able to perform such wonders. In the early proclamation of the gospel, the apostles would underscore that God works through Jesus. Peter said, “God has anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil” (Acts 10:38). Faith in Jesus as the Son of the Father is critical in finding courage and strength in the face of challenges and trials. But even then, this faith is not sufficient unless we also share in the same union that Jesus has with His Father. Otherwise, we cannot work the same miracles that Jesus did.

How then can one allow God to be in him? The answer given by Jesus is simply this, “Unless a man is born from above, he cannot see thekingdom ofGod.” In other words, unless he is born from above, God cannot rule His life. And this is brought about through baptism for, “Unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God: what is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the spirit is spirit.” Clearly then, Jesus intends that baptism by water not only purifies the person from sin, but it also gives him the Holy Spirit which empowers him to be holy and resist new temptations to sin. Baptism therefore is the basis for a rebirth into God through the reception of the Holy Spirit.

Through baptism too, we are made God’s children and anointed in the name of Jesus. Sharing in His Spirit and therefore His sonship, we too can work the same miracles that Jesus worked since as heirs, we share in the rights of sonship. This spiritual identification is the cause of our power to do what Jesus did. Sharing in His Spirit, we can work wonders through His power in us. And more so not just as an individual Christian but as Church; we become the Body of Christ with Christ as our Head. The Church therefore is identified with Christ as our Head. Through Christ, the Church becomes an effective and potent force in the world. With Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Church continues the same work of Jesus as when He was on earth.

All of these is true theologically, but is it true for us existentially since we are all baptized in Christ? Why is it that the Holy Spirit does not appear to be alive and active in us? Why is it that although we are baptized, we still lack faith in the name of Jesus and the power of prayer; and consequently the conviction to proclaim the Good News of Jesus as our Saviour? Why is it that in spite of being baptized, we still live in sin and under the bondage of the Evil One? How is it that we so quickly forget the dignity of our sonship or daughtership in Christ bestowed upon us when we were baptized?

I think it is because there is a tendency to institutionalize the Spirit in religious institutions. As a result, we tend to perform and repeat spiritual exercises and doctrines without understanding or the possession of the Spirit of the faith of the Church. We have the institutions but we lack the Spirit. Indeed, after the initial experience of the presence of God, Catholics have become jaded over the years; the spiritual life lacks fervour and attendance at mass becomes a duty that we perform without real consciousness. We substitute a personal relationship with rituals, the Word of God with theology and a living faith with doctrines.

Today, the gospel reminds us that the Spirit is free, for Jesus said, “Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.” We must be open to how the Spirit is moving and acting in our lives. This does not mean that the Spirit is against the institution. No, the institution is meant to protect, and not stifle the Spirit. But we cannot reduce the Spirit to an institutional mode.

How then can we recover this Spirit, if it’s not the need to strengthen our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit? We need a renewal of the life of the Holy Spirit in us, especially for those of us who are active in Church ministry and not merely those who are inactive in Church. If we feel that our enthusiasm for the Lord is lacking and that we are simply working for the Lord or for the Church, accomplishing our work as tasks and forgetting the real objective of bringing the love of Christ to others, then we will find Church ministry burdensome and stifling. We need a recharge and a rebirth in the power of the Spirit. There is no other way to do this then to deepen our prayer life, our love for the Word and the Sacraments. For those who have been working in the Church, either as volunteers or full-time workers, an annual retreat is indispensable. If not, we lose our focus and Church ministry will become no different from secular work. Unless we constantly remind ourselves of the need to build and strengthen our relationship with the Lord, we will lose our fervour and faith in Him. We must pray for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that our faith will neither become institutionalized, nor our relationships with Him become ritualized. Once we lose the Spirit, we lose the power of the gospel to effect transformation in the lives of people whom we minister to.