Brothers and sisters, I love to eat different kind of fruits including the most exotic ones,
especially if they smell sweet. The Bible tells us that there are also spiritual fruits.
We can see them in our daily life; however, they cannot be bought in a fruit shop.
One of the first fruits of the Holy Spirit Jesus offered his disciples was peace.
When he entered the upper room on the day of Pentecost his first words were: “Peace be with
you” (John 20:21). I hope that since the moment of our baptism we all have been nourished by that
fruit as we grew in a loving family atmosphere. Unfortunately, as we advance in years, sometimes
the peace of the Holy Spirit is disturbed within us. Some unspiritual people offer us rotten fruit.
In fact, they may try to do it every single day using different kinds of tactics.
How many times have we tasted rotten fruit presented to us in an attractive manner
knowing that after consuming them we will be filled with guilt?
We allowed our good Christian life that was producing good fruit to became infected. If
we realise it, that is not the end of the world. I would encourage all of you to go to Confession
as soon as you feel disconnected from God. We all need courage to repent if we make a mistake.
We all need courage to repent if we make a mistake.
However, if we see rotten fruit on the table of our lives and do nothing about it, that is a
different story. Bad fruit will be slowly changing our lives and our way of thinking.
Moreover, there will be a possibility that negative thinking may overwhelm us and our relationships.
When I was a college chaplain, I heard parents telling me that their children’s behaviour changed
after starting high school. Because of negative peer pressure some parents began to see that
their children were prone to bad behaviour. They disobeyed them more often and were angry without
any valid reason. It happens that sometimes good Christian students allow others to infect them
with their selfish ways. We need to be aware that we are all in danger of being infected by the bad
influence of those who don’t believe in God and maybe don’t care about any form of spiritual life.
Saint Paul tells us in today’s second reading
that “People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing
to God” (Rom 8:8). Dear friends, that is one of many reasons why we need Pentecost in our life.
Openness to the power of the Holy Spirit will allow us to reject any form of sin.
Spiritual illness is worse than COVID-19 because it kills the life of grace within us
and separates us from God. Every day we should ask Jesus to renew us in the Holy Spirit. Then,
we will be able to love Him and use his gifts – the gifts of wisdom, understanding and right
judgment. The gifts of courage, knowledge, and reverence. We will respect God, his Church,
and His people. We will produce good fruits and will be able to share them with others.