Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. I’d like to begin today’s homily by praying to the Holy Spirit. If you are familiar with it, please join me. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of thy love. Send forth thy spirit and they shall be created and thou shalt renew the face of the earth. O God who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the same Spirit we may have a right judgment in all things and ever rejoice in His consolation thru Christ our Lord. Amen
(words spoken softly)
Listen, Can you hear it, it’s all around you, it’s in the air, it’s in the wind, it’s in the light. All you have to do is listen. Today as we celebrate Pentecost, we need to listen for the Holy Spirit. Years ago, there was a film entitled ‘August Rush’ It was about an 11 yr. old orphan boy in search of his parents, who were - torn from each other’s lives by a disgruntled father-in-law. His mother was told he died at birth, his father never knew he even had a son. The 11 yr. old searched for them. Both parents were professional musicians his mother plays the cello, his father a guitar. They not only lost contact with each other but are unaware they had an 11 yr. old who was a musical prodigy.
He is eventual taken to the Julliard Conservatory by a minister who is one of many who discovers his musical abilities, being the youngest composer - the Dean of the conservatory questions him: How do you do it? How does the music come to you? he replies I just hear it. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and it’s just there or - I hear it walking down the street. It’s like someone is calling out to me. When I write it all down - it’s me - calling out to them. The dean then asks: Who are you calling out to? He responds: The ones who gave me the music. We are told when Pentecost arrives - Mary and the Apostles are in the upper room when suddenly there comes upon them a strong driving wind. Hearing this I think of the words spoken by this young musician: Listen. Can you hear it? It’s all around you. It’s in the air. It’s in the wind. It’s in the light. All you have to do is open yourself up and listen. it’s coming down upon you and its inside you - listen.
We lose so many opportunities to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit because we don’t take the time to listen. Unlike August we don’t wake up every morning and listen for it - because our minds are on too many other things. We are reminded time and time again of the importance of having a relationship with God but we can only do that if we are open to him. The Holy Spirit is that music we long for, - we need to allow - the Holy Spirit - to come down on us.
August has a reverence for music. He upholds it, treasures it, embraces it and allows it to embrace him. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is reverence. You and I need to have a reverence or a deep respect - for God’s divine presence. You and I need to have a reverence or deep respect - for God’s sacred word. Having a reverence for the holy Spirit is our willingness to listen to God's word and hear his voice. It means being attentive when we are contemplating God’s word - its being silent during various hrs of the day so we can connect with him
Reverence for God is also realized in the time we give to others when we enter into communion with them. It's when we recognize we are the body of Christ and that as a people of God we need to remain close to one another, just as August sought to be in communion with his parents. Being in communion with one another - begins by listening. August said: by listening - he could hear someone calling out to him and by writing it all down - he was calling out to them. The dean asked who was calling out to him. He responds: the ones who gave me the music. If we are asked who is calling out to us - In light of today’s feast - I hope we would say - the one who breathed life into us. We received the Holy Spirit during our Baptism and were washed clean of our sins and - we received the Holy Spirit upon the laying on of hands during our Confirmation. It's at those moments that our senses have become sharpened and our relationship with God deepened.
The Dean of Julliard made the statement that Music always fascinates us in the way that it communicates to us without words or without pictures. We only need to listen. The same can be said of the Holy Spirit as The Holy Spirit communicates to us without words or pictures we only need to listen Hearing this statement makes me wonder how so many people can be in agreement with - how music communicates with them but not be in agreement with how God communicates with them. God is all good and true and beautiful. God created us and calls us into a relationship with him - yet we often fail to receive him. Everything on this earth is beautiful. what we hear and see and touch yet - somehow we forget it all comes from God and that he created it for us. Just as we seem to forget it is God who - breath life into us.
The boy's mother learns at her fathers death bed - that he forged her signature and had him given up for adoption and told her he died at birth, He feared the child would hurt her career. She then searches for him and eventually - they all find each other - through music.
(say softly)
listen someone is calling out to you - open your heart and listen.