Homily 5-18-2013 Manifold Manifestations of the one Holy Spirit

My pastor growing up always called Pentecost the birthday of the Church: it is here that the mission of Christ is truly complete. It is here at Pentecost that the Church receives all that she needs to live the Gospel, to proclaim in various united ways the glory of the Lord in the Gospel and in our world. God sent His only begotten Son into our world that we may believe in Him and have eternal life, but this is accomplished only within the Holy Spirit. In some way, we can summarize the mystery God's work in the world this way, including all three persons of the Blessed Trinity: The Father sends the Son to give us the Spirit.

Think of the event of Pentecost as recorded in the Catechism, par. 2623 On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of the Promise was poured out on the disciples, gathered "together in one place."⁹² While awaiting the Spirit, "all these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer."⁹³ The Spirit who teaches the Church and recalls for her everything that Jesus said⁹⁴ was also to form her in the life of prayer.

Here in the upper room, united in prayer around the Blessed Mother, the Church receives the strength she needs to carry out her mission. Prayer in the Holy Spirit drives us into the world with the gifts we need to carry out our vocation.

Peter was not able to convert 3,000 people in one day with the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Terry is not able to celebrate Mass without the Holy Spirit.

Your parents are not able to fulfill their role as teachers of the faith without the Holy Spirit.

You will not be able to live a Holy marriage without the Holy Spirit.

Only through the Holy Spirit are we able to fulfill these vocations, which come to us especially in our prayer.

2672 The Holy Spirit, whose anointing permeates our whole being, is the interior Master of Christian prayer. He is the artisan of the living tradition of prayer. To be sure, there are as many paths of prayer as there are persons who pray, but it is the same Spirit acting in all and with all. It is in the communion of the Holy Spirit that Christian prayer is prayer in the Church.
Each vocation is unique. Yet all are fueled by the same Spirit. Think of how water satisfied all the different plants and animals of our planet, yet it suits itself to so many various needs. The same rain sustains them all, but they all put it to use in distinct ways. The same goes for Christians. Although we are united by the Holy Spirit, we are also sent out in particular ways.
Two years ago today, on the Saturday before Pentecost (June 11th of that year) the Holy Spirit came upon me to fill me with the grace of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. I thank God for this gift and beg the Spirit to continue to empower me with the Grace I need to live my life for Him alone. As we pray for more priests, I invite on of our parish's seminarians to share a few words of his own.