Homily: Friday of the 6th Week of Easter - Guilty as charged!

In the ancient world, the city of Corinth was a mix between Las Vegas and New York City: it was a wealthy commercial center that gathered traders, sailors and slaves from all over the Roman Empire and known for its deprave moral standards, drunkenness, debauchery, and prostitution.  St. Paul came to Corinth and stayed about a year and a half: he would visit synagogues and try to convince both Jews and Greeks of the truth of the Gospel.

While in Corinth, the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to Paul in a vision and reassured him, “Do not be afraid.”  Even though a large group of Jews would rise up against Paul and bring him to court, he would not be physically harmed.  Further, Jesus assures Paul, “I have many people in this city”; meaning, Paul needs to remain diligent, because there were still people in Corinth who needed to be converted.

“Do not be afraid…I have many people in this city”.  Jesus speaks the same words to us.  He does not want us to be afraid to speak the Truth, to engage people in conversation about religion.

Paul was dragged into court and charged with "influencing people to worship God."  That's fantastic! We need to be more guilty of those charges!  Imagine more people worshiping God, opened to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, going to mass, repenting of sin, working for justice because we went out of our comfort zone to persuade them to a greater worship of God.

In the Gospel Jesus says, "I give you My assurance, whatever you ask the Father, He will give you in My name.” So what should we ask for?  Not to be popular, not to be a great athlete, not to have the fancy car, or the newest technological device  We should ask God to pour out his Holy Spirit upon us, to make our hearts like St. Paul’s:  Totally convicted for spreading the Gospel.

After Jesus Ascension, the apostles gathered in the upper Room together with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and prayed in order to prepare for Pentecost.  And in nine days we will celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, so today is a great day to begin the Pentecost Novena, to pray like Mary and the Apostles to be opened more deeply to God’s Holy Spirit, to deeply thirst that God’s Holy Will be done in our lives for His glory and the salvation of souls.