“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

50 days past Easter. 10 days after the Feast of the Ascension. We have come to Pentecost. The commemoration and celebration of the Holy Spirit being sent among the early disciples and apostles and first ignition of the work of the Church. It was the spark needed, as promised by Christ Himself, for the early followers of Jesus in order to proclaim the Good News of God’s salvation. And it is still the spark needed in our Christian life and faith.

Yet, for many, that spark doesn’t seem to be there. Maybe it was there and now it is not. Maybe we feel like we’ve never had the spark. Indeed, for many Christians the Holy Spirit seems like a mystery (which isn’t exactly wrong), when, in fact, it is the gift God has given us and is meant to be accessible to all who proclaim Christ crucified. The gift of the Holy Spirit isn’t one-dimensional either. It includes many more gifts within its interior life. The fruits of the Spirit, the peace of God, the conviction and forgiveness of sin, and more. Without the Holy Spirit to direct and guide the church and our lives, then we would be “back and forth by the waves”, as Paul describes our lives without God.

In our life, we must discern the Holy Spirit and where He is leading us. Yet, too, is our own self a place in which the Holy Spirit takes up residence, as shown in the Scripture above. The Holy Spirit is supposed to dwell within us. Our bodies are temples and our lives are the fruits of this residency. While the Scripture is not one of the readings this weekend, it is important to understand the role the Holy Spirit plays in our life.

This week, my prayer is that you at St. John’s continue well to discern where the Holy Spirit is both leading this church and your very self in whatever you are dealing with in life, in order that God’s glory and love can shine through us here and you wherever you are at. Amen.

In Christ,

Fr. Zach