HOMILY – FEAST OF PENTECOST
ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA CHURCH AND FURMAN UNIVERSITY
MAY 11, 2008 – 8, 10, 12 & 6:30PM - GREENVILLE, SC
May the Spirit of God come to us, amen, alleluia!
Mighty acts of God, a gorgeous body, and sweet breath.
Mighty acts of God. “It was a time of fulfillment, they were together in one place, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.” Any one of these is a mighty act of God. Ever try to get a family together? It’s always the wrong time for someone. And we don’t walk around in fulfillment, we do ridiculous things to fill a void. Any one of those would have been a mighty act indeed. But God did all 3, gathered them, in His time, and filled them, not leaving them needy. God can do the same for us.
Isn’t God doing it right now? Look at us! Here we are, we didn’t choose each other, God drew us in. It is the right time because of that. You put everything 2nd to God and His people this morning. And when we come together, there is no saying this Sunday morning is the most segregated time all week. The Holy Spirit does the seemingly impossible. We are quite a mix.
I have been asked so many times, “So you serve an African American Church huh?” Yup. “I hear a lot of whites have come.” Yup. Latinos and Asians too. “Well how does that work?” I respond, “They like each other, they feel called to this place to acknowledge God’s mighty action in their lives - together. They come from all over, Asheville, Simpsonville, even Greenville. People want Gospel life, to thank God and to learn from diversity. The black community has so much to teach us,” I say. Mighty acts of God happen.
A gorgeous body. Man you look good. You look mah-velous darling, absolutely mah-velous. St. Paul uses the image of the human body to talk about how all of our differing gifts from God are parts of one whole body like arms and eyeballs are parts of the human body. Where one person has a gift for numbers and organization, another has a gift for sweating over cookies baking, and yet another for speaking and yet another for art, sports! business, healthcare, law enforcement, education, skills of craft, music, dance, you name it – what a gorgeous body.
How ugly when a body part gets sick. When the eyeballs look at porn, when the hands strike someone, when the feet step away from the community to “go their own way.” And we all suffer then, don’t we?
You have a gorgeous body, a gift from God, and with that capacity to be gorgeous, why not be? Let eyes look on a lonely one and accompany them, let hands pick up a child or applaud achievement. Let feet dance before people who haven’t seen dance for a while. I am going to DJ at The Haven and at our soup kitchen in Philly in June for just that reason. I want my feet, all of me to praise the Lord by being gorgeous. If I am a nostril on the body of Christ we’re going to breath, bringing life. You are gorgeous, now put it to work.
Sweet breath. Oh the minty fresh breath of Jesus. Oh the scope-clean smell of the one who breathed on the apostles. They receive the double mint gum, saved from sin and death! Oh the sweetness of that bubble gum breath as it bursts sin and returns us to a more youthful, clean life through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The tic tac of mercy and forgiveness. Maybe I’ll give out bubble gum and mints after confessions this Saturday!
Jesus breathed on the apostles and told them this sweetness… “Receive My Spirit, If you forgive, so will I.” The sweetness of this commission brought the peace He came to give. “Teach the people salvation - by the forgiveness of their sins.” Blow that bubble! Watch people smile.
My friends, this moment right now is a mighty act of God.
You have a gorgeous body for the Lord’s use,
and we look even more beautiful together!
Sweeten up this world as you breathe the forgiveness that brings lasting peace. This Spirit of God, well received, can penetrate the locked doors
of many hearts. Alleluia!