A Cycle – 6^4th Sunday of Easter 26

John 14:15-21

She was confused and wanted to know if the Samaritans baptized by Philip received the Holy Spirit when they were baptized. At the heart of her question was why did Peter and John go to Samaria and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.  What is more interesting about the question is when we become aware of that same Spirit’s constant action nudging us to respond to Christ just as those Samaritans did when the Spirit came upon them.

The fourteenth chapter of John’s gospel is preparing each person who says hey believe to become more dependent on the action of the Spirit than on obedience to the commandments.  The importance of the Holy Spirits action within us cannot be overstated for without it we are incapable of becoming more than practicing Catholics.  We need to become new creations in Christ, willing to give our testimony, our story to anyone who wonders why we always have hope.

It is simply because we believe in the promises of God. Who said He would never abandon us nor forsake us.  We believe in a God who knows what we are going through and believe that no matter what God will provide all we need to be of good cheer because Christ has conquered the world. 

Why did Peter and John go to Samaria? To give us a lesson about our own baptism today.  For most of us never think of our baptism and the amazing things that are happening to us while we are being baptized.  The church tells us we are empowered by our baptism to evangelize others.  To go and share the good news that God is in our land.  Especially to those people who want o to know when God is going to answer their prayer. 

The apostles knew the importance of the Spirit because they themselves had their explosive moment when they were baptized in Spirit and fire.  They had received the Spirit the day of His resurrection when He entered that upper room and breathed upon them.   We too need to have that moment when the Spirit fills us with the love of God flowing through us.  That moment when we become aware of how God’s forgiveness comes and demands nothing of us but to respond as the woman at the well did.  She asked for Jesus to give her that life giving water that is the spirit changing us into bold witnesses of God’s love. 

But God desires to do more than have us experience total and complete forgiveness. One that has us realizing how we have allowed past sins to create a barrier between ourselves and God.  It changes us to desire to invite the Spirit to continue its work of transforming us into the image of Christ.  That is our own baptism in Spirit and fire. Our own Pentecost moment when we know we can do more, can pray intensely, and hear the voice of God telling us He is well pleased in us.

God wants to free us to worship in Spirit and in truth.  Free, not afraid to lift our hands as we worship God.  We cannot help but singing and experiencing the power behind the words we sing as we praise and give thanks to God and dance before our God as David did.  But more than physical freedom, the Spirit gives us spiritual freedom to pray spontaneously, allowing the words to flow from our hearts.     

    Perhaps we need to ask ourselves if we have received the Spirit when hands were laid upon us.  The answer is of course but we have not been taught to yield ourselves to the transforming power of the Spirit.  God promised us He would change our hearts by sending us the Spirit.  But we have allowed that Spirit to remain inactive within us.  Perhaps it is time for us to stir into flame the Spirt that we received when hands were laid upon us.