It's all about the Holy Spirit...

My topic today will be the Holy Spirit.  Back in the 1930s, Fiorello LaGuardia was the mayor of New York City.  He enjoyed walking through the streets and visiting with the people.  One day in January of 1935 he walked into a courthouse and went to the bench and told the judge that he would serve as the judge that day.

They brought forward a woman who had been charged with stealing a loaf of bread.  She said that she was taking care of her two grandchildren and that they were starving.  But the grocery store owner said that he would not drop the charges.  He said, “Your honor, she has got to be punished to teach other people a lesson. We can’t let people get away with stealing.” 

Mr. LaGuardia reluctantly said to the woman, “I have to fine you.  The law makes no exceptions.”  Then he reached into his billfold and took out some money and paid her fine.  His next move caught everyone by surprise.  He said, “Furthermore, I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat.  Mr. Bailiff, I hereby command you to collect the fines and give the money to the defendant.” 

Everyone, including the grocer and the bailiff, had to pay fifty cents.  When the collection was complete the grandmother received $47.50 to feed her grandchildren.  And everyone in that courtroom gave the mayor a standing ovation because they knew that he was right when he fined them for not providing bread for the children of their city.  Everyone knew that he was right when he challenged them to move from selfishness to the virtue of sharing.  He wanted his city to have a new spirit…The spirit of sharing.

Moving now to our Gospel for today.  I think it’s all about the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down upon him and it changed him.  The Holy Spirit pushed him out of the house and into the public.  In his first public speech Jesus said that the Spirit was changing him.  He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.  The Spirit is sending me to go forth with Good News.  To proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to let the oppressed go free.”  And from that day forward Jesus challenged his people to take on a new spirit.

He said, “Let the Holy Spirit be the agent of change in your lives.  The Holy Spirit is challenging you to move from pride to humility.  The Holy Spirit is challenging you to move from greed to generosity.  The Holy Spirit is challenging you to turn away from hostile behaviors and to switch over to treating people with respect.  

The Spirit can help you move from being persons who are jealous to being persons who give each other support and affirmation.  The Spirit can help you move from seeking revenge to granting forgiveness.  The Holy Spirit helps us to take on a new spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the agent of change and that will be true during our Mass today. 

During the Eucharistic Prayer we will ask the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.  But that is only the beginning.  We will also ask the Holy Spirit to change us.  We ask the Spirit to transform us so that we might have unity in our church; and transform us so that we might continue the work of Christ in the world; and change us that we might be worthy to join the saints in heaven.

I will close with this reminder: The Holy Spirit is the agent of change.      When Jesus was baptized the Spirit came down upon him and changed his heart.  He moved from staying home to going forth to proclaim his plan for his spiritual Kingdom.  When we are baptized we receive the Holy Spirit and the Spirit gives us the strength that we need to build up the Kingdom.  And today the Holy Spirit is changing the bread into the Body of Christ; And changing the wine into the Blood of Christ; and changing us so that we can be more loving.