Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz - 5/28/23 Come, Holy Spirit!

Episode Date: May 27, 2023

Homily from Pentecost Sunday I do not want what Jesus has done in me to stop with me. Jesus has accomplished the Father's will in offering Himself on the Cross. He has further sent the Holy Spirit for the salvation of the world. God has done something incredible in the life of each Christian. And He sends us out into the world so that what He has done in us continues to be done in those close to us. Mass Readings from May 28, 2023:Acts 2:1-11Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 341 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23

Welcome to Sunday homilies with me, Father Mike Schmitz. I hope today's homily inspires and motivates you, and I also hope that it leaves you hungry for the one who gave everything to feed you. If you want to get this in other Sunday Mass resources sent straight to your inbox, sign up at ascensionpress.com slash Sunday, or by texting Sunday to 33777.7. You can also follow or subscribe on your podcast app for weekly notifications. God bless.

The Lord be with you. In reading from the Holy Gospel, according to John, chapter 20 verses 19 through 23. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, peace be with you. as the Father has sent me, so I send you.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. The Gospel of the Lord. The Gospel today, that was an awesome sequence. Oh my gosh, it was amazing. It was beautiful. The Gospel today had this mission.

Jesus gives this mission to the Apostles. And the mission is really straightforward. It's really, well, it's not simple, but it's straightforward. He says, as the Father sent me, so I send you. As the Father sent me, so I send you, this is the call that Jesus gives to the Apostles. You know, today on the Feast of Pentecost, it reminds me, at least, of last week, the Feast of the Ascension, where Jesus gives the Great Commission, right, to the apostles. He says, go therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,

Son, Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you. Behold, I'm with you always until the end of the age. That's called the Great Commission. So hearing the gospel. Today in John's Gospel, we have this mission. He commissions them, right? As the Father sent me, so I send you. At the end of Matthew's Gospel, there's the Great Commission.

That's for every disciple. To go into all the nations, to make disciples of all nations, to go everywhere throughout the world, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you, the Great Commission. In fact, the third example is, again last weekend at Ascension, Acts Chapter 1, today we heard Acts chapter 2. In Acts chapter 1, Jesus says, okay, now, now stay here basically, stay here in Jerusalem. And you'll receive power. He says, you'll receive power when the Holy

Spirit comes upon you. And then you'll be my witnesses here in Judea, here in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria to the end of the age, to the end of the world. I think this is really just fascinating because here is Jesus who gives them a mission. Here's here's a call. And then he gives them the power to complete the mission. This is the thing for, for, for, with this, the mystery of the Lord, and this is the goodness of how good God is, that for every one of our lives, there's a call. For every one of our lives, there's some kind of mission. And for every Christian, the mission is exactly the gospel, which is go make disciples of all nations. But it's not just, Jesus doesn't just give us the mission. He always gives us the power to complete

the mission. He always gives us the strength to accomplish the mission. On their own, think about this. On their own, the disciples could not do anything. On our own, we couldn't do anything. I mean, think about this today, the mission today in the gospel. Jesus says, as a father sent me, so I send you. Okay, what did Jesus, what was he sent to do? He was sent to heal the sick. He was sent to bind up the wounded. He was sent to set captives free. He was sent to bring mercy to the world. These are just the apostles. They can't do that. But immediately, what does he Jesus do? He says, as the father sent me, so I send you. And then he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit. those whose sins you forgive are forgiven, those whose sins you retain are retained.

He doesn't just give them the call. He gives them the power to actually live out the call. He doesn't just give them the mission. He gives them the strength, the gifts, whatever it is that they need to live the mission. And today on the Feast of Pentecost, think here's the great commission. Go and make disciples of all nations. And today on the Feast of Pentecost, God pours out the power to accomplish this mission. See, this is the remarkable thing, that every one of us, every one of you, we all have a

mission. We all have a call. There's some great work that the Lord God has for you. And that's some of that is just what you can do and what only you can do. What all of us share is this great commission, this great commission to actually make disciples, the great commission to be able to bring the gospel of Jesus to the world. And we look at ourselves and it's like, I can't do that. And the answer is we're right. If you say, I can't do that on my own, you're right. Because Jesus doesn't just give the call. He gives the power to live out the call. He doesn't just give the mission. He gives the strength. gifts to accomplish the mission. And so what does he expect? What he expects is that we would use the gifts. Like this is, this is, this is the upshot of the whole thing is, is we don't just receive the call.

We don't just receive the gifts. We also have to live out those gifts. Whatever the Lord pours out upon us, and he does. Again, this is Pentecost. And what Pentecost is, is the prefigurement of confirmation. What Pentecost is, is the reality of how Jesus has poured out, the Father has poured out the Holy Spirit upon this whole world. If you've been baptized, you've received the Holy Spirit. If you've been confirmed, you receive the Holy Spirit. You don't need more Holy Spirit. He has filled you with the Holy Spirit.

He's given you every gift that you need to accomplish the mission that he's set apart for you. That's it. God has given us a call. He's given us a strength to accomplish this call. And now he just expects us to use it. Just like he expected the apostles, I gave you the ability to forgive sins.

Now go forgive sins. Gives the apostles the ability to spread the gospel. Okay, now go spread the gospel. Think about what it would be if the apostles are just like, this is amazing. like we have this gift we have this power we have the call to forgive sins we have the ability to forgive sins this is amazing like what do i have here like this kind of a that sense or even like on the piece of pentecost we heard it in the first reading where people are amazed because the the apostles are out there

and they're preaching and everyone can understand them in their own language imagine what would happen if the holy spirit comes down upon the apostles and they have this you know tongues of fire like this is insane this is incredible we now have this abundance of the holy spirit let's just hang out and like just enjoy it like a hot tub. It's just kind of like just like soak in the Holy Spirit right now. That'd be a waste of the gifts. I just think the apostles were convinced. I don't want to let what Jesus has done in me to stop with me.

That's the call. I don't want Jesus. I don't want what Jesus has done in me to stop with me. You know, the catechism, you've probably heard of it. That it as a, it came out the year after I was confirmed. And it's one of those things where it's just, I bring this up all the time because I'm a little salty about the fact that in confirmation.

class, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what to look forward to. People said, we'll just pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I'm like, okay, I want wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge. I don't know how those four things aren't the same thing, but I want them all. But after I was confirmed, the catechism came out. And one of the paragraphs in the catechism talks about the five effects of confirmation. And I thought, that's what I would like to have known. And some of the five effects are that confirmation, right, the new Pentecost, Pentecost now. Confirmation, it roots us more deeply as sons and daughters of God, the Father. like that's awesome.

The confirmation, that it binds us more closely to Jesus. Like, that's awesome. Confirmation gives us an even greater abundance of those spiritual gifts that received at baptism. Like, that's awesome. All these gifts, we unites us even more closely to the church. Like, all those things are awesome. Here's what God has done in you.

He's made you his son or daughter. He's united himself in Jesus to you. He made you part of the church. Give you gifts to the Holy Spirit. Those are all things that Jesus has done in you. But the fifth effect of confirmation is the one that just, I thought, yes, that is what I need to know. Because the fifth effect of confirmation is,

everyone who's been confirmed receives a special strength, a special strength of the Holy Spirit, to spread and defend the faith by word and deed, to boldly proclaim the name of Jesus and to never be ashamed of the cross. That's the fifth effect of confirmation, right? A special strength you've received, if you've been confirmed, you have received this.

Because the call is what the mission is, go make disciples. And Jesus has given you, in confirmation, the power to live out this. Why? It's a special strength. by the Holy Spirit, to spread and defend the faith by what you say and what you do, by word indeed, to boldly proclaim the name of Jesus and to never be ashamed of the cross.

The question is not whether or not God is given the gift. The question is, am I willing to use it? The question isn't, has God called me? Is there a mission for me? No, there is a mission. There is a call. The question is, am I willing to actually go out? Am I willing to let what Jesus has done in me just stop with me?

Are you willing to let what God has done in you just stop with you? Question, do we believe that people are worth trying to save? Because that's what that's at stake, right? Here's the Great Commission, go make disciples so the people can know my love, so people can actually, they can be my sons and daughters. That's what God wants. Do I really believe that people are worth trying to save? Or am I willing to just let what Jesus has done in me stop with me?

New years ago, I came across a man named Pendelet. You know, no Penn and Teller, you know, Penn and Teller. kind of a comedy magic duo. They're hilarious. They're great. Penjolette is a pretty outsmoking atheist. But at one point, he made this video. He went back to his hotel room after one of the shows, and he just kind of recorded this on his computer, and he posted it online. And he described this scene. He said, he's kind of like, he's kind of processing this online, essentially, and he posts this video where he says, so this interesting thing happened to me tonight after the show. There was this man, you know, after the show, he goes and meets people in the lobby and just greets them,

and photographs and autographs and all those kind of things. And he said, there's a man who's standing there. He's really respectful. He's waiting. I recognized him for the show the night before. Man, I'd come back. And after everyone was gone, he just came up to him. He said, he was really respectful, really kind.

He said, he was really big man, which I think is funny that he pointed it out multiple times in the video, because Pend Gillette's kind of a big man, too. And he said, he just said, you know, Mr. Gillette, I love your show. I think you're incredibly talented. And I love what you do. I just, the whole thing, it's incredible. And he also said, you. He just said, I also, I know you don't believe in God, but I'm a Christian, and I just want you to have this.

And he handed him a little small, little Bible, like maybe like New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs, kind of a situation. And Penn Gillette's sitting there in his hotel room and he's like, he said, you know, this guy, he was so respectful, he was so kind, he was so polite. He wasn't weird. He wasn't crazy. He even said that. He said, I'm not crazy. I want you to have this. And Benjolette's sitting there and he's saying, you know what, some people could think that's, that's rude or that's mean or that's horrible.

I can't believe this Christian is trying to proselytize you or trying to evangelize you, whatever this is. And he said, I don't. I don't think that. He said, you know what? I'm convinced that God doesn't exist. But he went on to reflect, he said, but if you're a Christian and you're really convinced that there is a real heaven and a real hell. If you're a Christian and you believe that there's such a thing as eternal life, that that's possible. He asked, how much would you have to hate someone, not to tell them that?

He said, so I don't, I'm not offended by this man. Because this is a real Christian. He's actually living out his faith. But that's that question. If I really believe that there's a real hell and a real heaven, if I really believe that Jesus is the Lord, how much would I have to hate someone not to tell them that? John Paul II, he pointed this out,

he pointed out that the opposite of love isn't hate. It's that the opposite of love is use, or the opposite of love is indifference. I think a lot of us are like, no, I don't hate anyone. I'm just indifferent to them. Do I really believe that people are worth trying to save? And how about this? Not just strangers, not just anyone,

But how about the people who are closest to me? You know, a bunch of years ago, a couple of years ago. I had a young woman on our campus. Her name's Michaela. And Michaela, awesome student. So, so great. She was part of this community. And you're her first year, second year, third year.

She just kept growing and growing. And she was one of those situations where she was like, yeah, God has done something incredible in me. Her senior year, she was kind of like, just a little resistant to some stuff of like, what's going to happen after college? What are you going to do with all the good things God has done in your life? At one point, she went to a conference called seek.

It's a focus conference. And she wasn't going to go. go to this conference because she was like, no, I mean, I've already been there three years in a row. I don't need to go a fourth year. But at that conference, God did something. No, God had already done something in Michaela's life. He'd already changed her life. But at this conference, McKilla was convinced that what God had done in her couldn't stop with her. And one of the things that he did was just kind of crack this open, this love she has for her little brother and little sister. And she, you know, I don't know if you've ever tried to share the gospel with your

siblings. It doesn't always work the best. And she's like her little brother and a little sister. And sister were going off to college pretty soon and she's like I want someone to be able to reach them. She's like, I've done what I can as an older sister. But then she thought, you know what, there's someone else's little brother, someone else's little sister is going off to college. And maybe if I can be there for them, someone else will be there for my little sister. Someone else will be there for my little brother. So Michaela became a focused missionary. She was assigned to Air Force Academy for the last few years and just been incredible, incredible opportunity, incredible challenge. But the incredible,

incredible reality that Michaela has come to that conclusion that I don't want to let what Jesus did in me just stop with me, but I have to start. And that's for all of us. This is the last thing. We have to start. And the question is, where do you start? One of these, I love, one of the reasons I love how Jesus in Acts chapter 1 before today, before Act chapter 2 with the Holy Spirit coming upon him upon the apostles, Jesus tells the disciples how to start. He tells them when that Holy Spirit comes upon you, here's how you start. When you receive that power, that dynamite power of the Holy Spirit and your witnesses, here's where you start. He says, start here in the city of Jerusalem. Then Judea and Samaria, then to the end of the earth. Then the rest of the world. Basically,

Jesus says, start where you are. Just start at home. Like start right now. And that's the thing. So often we think, well, we'll have to go to Calcutta, have to go to Cambodia, have to go to wherever the other place is. But Jesus says, no, no, no, no, no. Just start where you are. It's one of the reasons I love, I may be brought up before, but there's kind of a couple mottos that float around Newman here at UMD. And one of the mottos is see a need, fill a need. And it's not just a motto that gets people to vacuum the floor. It is, it doesn't get them vacuum the floor.

But it's supposed to. But it's a motto that is supposed to get us a vision for how to live, that I want to, if I see a need, I want to fill a need, if I see a need, maybe that's the mission. If I see a need, maybe that's the call. If I see a need, there's someone who's hungry. Okay, maybe I'm the person who can feed them. If I see need, here's someone who's lonely. Maybe I can be the one who can be their friend.

If I see any, maybe there's someone who doesn't know who Jesus is. Maybe I can feel that need. The alternative, the alternative is to live as if you don't have a call. The alternative to live as if you have a call, but you don't have the gifts. The alternative is to have the call and have the gifts, but not use them. The great call that Jesus Christ has extended to you and to me. The great call Jesus has extended to every single. one of us is to go make disciples. And he hasn't left us alone. He hasn't left us powerless.

He has given us the strength to do this. On the Feast of Pentecost, we just pray that God stirs that strength, stirs those gifts, stirs that power of the Holy Spirit into flame in our hearts. So that when we see a need, we'll fill a need. So that when there is someone lonely, we'll be the one there. When there is someone hungry, we'll be the one there. When there is someone who doesn't know Jesus, we'll be the one there. Because I believe that none of us want to allow what Jesus has done in us to stop with us.