Pentecost Message (5/97)

Men and women today continually ask, "What does God want of me?" In his first letter to the Thessalonians Saint Paul answers that question with resounding clarity and simplicity: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3. Yes, beloved in Christ, our sanctification is the will of God. We are exhorted in God's word to be holy.

Saint Peter writes, "as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16. As Christians, it is our call to be holy in every way possible - in our thoughts, in our words and in our actions.

This call to holiness may seem somewhat overwhelming or unattainable to us, but the fact is that God has given to us the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifyer, to empower us to be holy. In His word He tells us, "Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD who sanctify you." Leviticus 20:7-8. It is important to note that God tells us, "I am the Lord who sanctify you". If holiness were something we needed to do on our own, it would be impossible. But, in fact, it is the power of God living in us, the Holy spirit, who teaches us, encourages us, corrects us, guides us, and directs us in the ways of holiness. He makes us holy. "God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:5.

My mind and heart are drawn to two verses of the Anavathmi of Sunday Orthros:

"Truly, sovereignty over creation, its sanctification, and its motion are of the Holy spirit, for He is God, consubstantial with the Father and the Word". (Second Tone).

'All holiness and wisdom is inspired by the Holy Spirit, for He is the Creator of all. Therefore, let us worship Him, for He is God as is the Father and the Word." (Third Tone).

In the Eastern Church our Gospel Readings for daily Divine Liturgy the week of Pentecost [Holy spirit Week] are taken from the Sermon on the Mount in Saint Matthew's Gospel. Tuesday begins with the Beatitudes. It is clear that our Eastern Church puts these Gospel readings for the days following the awe-inspiring descent of the Holy spirit on Pentecost Sunday for a good reason. The Church wants to remind us that God expects great things of us now that He dwells within us in such a powerful way. For, like any other gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit is freely given, and must be freely received. We must make the decision to open our minds and hearts to the moving of the Holy spirit in our lives.

I would like to propose the following four ways or tools or disciplines [praxis] to help us freely choose 'Life in the Spirit':

1. Prayer: deepens our relationship with God and increases the capacity of our heart to contain the Holy spirit.
2. Sharing in the Sacramental Mysteries: (especially frequent or daily participation in the Divine liturgy and Eucharist and frequent confession) Frequent or daily Eucharist and Confession unite us ever more intimately with our Lord in purity of heart.
3. A life of virtue: especially charity done in humility, allows us to increase God's image and likeness within us more each day.
4. Joy: the sure sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. Joy helps us in our call to evangelize and makes the Gospel more believable.

All four of these help us to fulfill the great commandment to love God with our whole mind, soul, heart, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark 12:30-31)

As we celebrate this beautiful feast of Pentecost, I pray that the Holy spirit will renew each of us as individuals and renew our Melkite Church as well. Let us all be united in the Spirit as we strive to grow in holiness each day. Christ is among us!

Most Rev. John A. Elya

Eparch of Newton

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