CONDITION FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT


EASTER TUESDAY

Act 2:36-41; Ps 33:4-5,18-20,22; Jn 20:11-18

Crucified Jesus is Lord and Saviour

The Church gives us the speech of Saint Peter at the Pentecost for our rumination today for two reasons: First is that the gift of the resurrection of the Son of Man is the commencement of the resurrection of man or human nature to eternal glory. It formally opens the possibility of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on men. The Holy Spirit is the glory of the Father and the Son that was given to the Son of Man at the commencement of his mission to carry out the will of the Father. The resurrection confirms that outpouring and the glorification of human nature assumed by the Son of God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ permanently conferred the glory on man or human nature. What made this possible is the general removal of the impediment to such indwelling of the Holy Spirit in human nature, the atonement of the sins of humanity by the death of the Son of Man. Hence, the resurrection confirms that God has taken our sins away and reconciled us to Himself. It also authenticates the Son of Man as divine. He is not only the Son of Man, our brother ipso facto but also the Son of God. By dying, he demonstrated his human nature, and by rising from death, he showed his divinity. He confirmed his claim to have the power to lay down his life, a mortal life, and the power to take it up again, which is immortality. He is a man like us in the former; he is our God in the latter.

The second reason is that the disciples fulfilled the necessary condition for the Holy Spirit at the Pentecost. The condition is that we believe in the above mysteries of Jesus Christ. The doubtful apostles of Jesus Christ attained full conviction of the resurrection of the Lord after forty (forty) days of his appearances and communion with them. During those days, he put the doctrine of faith about his divinity and humanity, as given above, right in the minds and hearts of the apostles and disciples. Our conviction on the humanity of Jesus and his divinity, confirmed by his resurrection, is a prerequisite for the reception of the Holy Spirit, objectively conferred on us by his resurrection. Saint Peter’s preaching at the Pentecost highlights these doctrines. “The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.” He is Lord based on his divinity, and Messiah or Christ based on his humanity. We must accept these doctrines to receive salvation in his name. We cannot receive the merit of his life, death, and resurrection if we do not believe in these core mysteries of Jesus Christ. To be baptised is to profess faith in these mysteries of Christ. So, Peter urged them to receive the baptism in his name by believing these doctrines, “And every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.”

The gospel demonstrates the prerequisite of faith for encountering the risen Lord. John’s version of the account of the resurrection and the news of it as given to the women singles out Mary Magdalene as the privileged woman to have the first sight of the risen Lord. While she persisted in her sorrow over the missing dead body of the Son of Man, she could not recognise the risen Lord. But her desire to see the Lord, notwithstanding it was for his dead body, drew the Lord to her. “They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him.” The risen Lord opened her spiritual eyes to see the Lord of mysteries by calling her name. “Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’—which means Master.” We are called by our names at the baptismal font, after which we are immersed into the mysteries of Jesus Christ by dying to our former ways. The risen Lord calls us to spiritual life with him by the Holy Spirit he gives us. Let our mystical encounter with the risen Lord transform our whole lives.

Let us pray: O God, who have bestowed on us paschal remedies, endow your people with heavenly gifts, so that, possessed of perfect freedom, they may rejoice in heaven over what gladdens them now on earth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. 

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