Easter VI [C] Acts 15:1-2, 22-29;Rev. 21: 10-14, 22-23; John 14: 23-29

Today’s readings show us the effects of the abiding presence of God in His Church and of His indwelling in each one of us. The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, tells us how the Holy Spirit indwelling in the Church helped the apostles to solve a major doctrinal problem about the Gentiles becoming Christians, which shook the very foundation of the early Church. The gospel passage reminds us that the Holy Spirit, abiding within us, is our teacher and the source of all peace.  The passage offers a vision of hope.  Jesus promises his followers that the Holy Spirit will come and instruct them in everything they need to know.

The story is told that after Helen Keller’s teacher, Annie Sullivan, had given her the names of physical objects in sign language, Miss Sullivan attempted to explain God and tapped out the symbols for the name "God." Much to Miss Sullivan’s surprise, Helen spelled back, "Thank you for telling me God’s name, Teacher, for he has touched me many times before." How could Helen Keller have known about God? Although she was blind and deaf, Helen Keller knew God, for God had shown Himself to her. That is “revelation” of an indwelling God about whom today’s scripture speaks.  

In this passage, Jesus reveals one of the great secrets of Christian life. When we are baptized, God himself, the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, actually come into our souls and take up residence there." We will come to him and make our dwelling with him," Jesus tells us.

Have we ever wondered why Jesus ascended back into heaven fifty days after his resurrection? Why didn't he stick around? Because he wanted to be closer to us; he wanted to be able to dwell deep within our hearts, beyond earthly limits. If Christ had not "gone to the Father," he would have remained limited by time and space, as he was during his earthly life. (It is good that I go, Jesus said).

But since he now dwells body and soul in heaven, he can be present to each one of us at all times, through the Holy Spirit. Since the three Persons of the Trinity share the same nature, where one is, all three are. 

But for the sake of our understanding, the Church has long attributed God's presence within our soul especially to the Holy Spirit, the most hidden of the three Persons of the Trinity, whom we are preparing to welcome in the coming Solemnity of Pentecost. 

We often live as if our Christianity were something outside of us, like a membership in a club, forgetting the God’s indwelling aspect of our faith life. That forgetfulness handcuffs God's power in our lives. The Holy Spirit is polite. He respects our freedom. He chooses to be a guest, not a dictator.

He sits in the living room of our souls, loving us, eagerly waiting for us to put away our cell phone, shut down our computer, and pay attention to him for few minutes, to listen to him, to ask him for guidance and strength. And whenever we do, he is able to increase what is good in us, and cleanse what is bad.

Jesus teaches us that the condition for this indwelling of the Holy Trinity is that we show our love of God by keeping his word.  And this keeping of his word will be facilitated by the Holy Spirit, God's Holy Breath. And he will be a comforter.

What kind of comfort can we expect from the Comforter?  Let’s look more closely at the word ‘comfort’. Modern usage has weakened its meaning to softness and gentle touches; in fact it has come to mean just about the opposite of its real meaning. The word comes from the Latin confortare, which means ‘to strengthen’; fortis means ‘strong’.  Comfort therefore means strength!  The Holy Spirit will make us robust, strong in faith. 

And what kind of peace can we expect?  “I give you my peace.  Not as the world gives peace do I give it to you.”  It is not the ego’s peace, which is like the peace after a good meal, or after some private victory.  He promises his kind of peace – which is “a peace the world cannot give” (Jn 14:27). The indwelling Holy Spirit will give us lasting peace and joy which can not be snatched away by any external force.

God inhabits our hearts so deeply and intimately that we become the visible dwelling place of God.  His living and life-affirming presence is always with us, yet '"hidden" in the very things we so often take for granted.  Thus, we are invited to look for and encounter "God-with-us," yet "hidden" -- hidden in the person sitting next to us, in the words we speak and the songs we sing at worship.

As we prepare ourselves for the great feast of the Comforter, the strength giver, the peace giver- in two weeks, let’s pray every day for the mighty outpouring  of the Holy Spirit in our hearts so that he may make us holy by his indwelling presence in us.