Receive the Holy Spirit

Scripture/Bible:  On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:19-23    

Reflection:  Never before in Biblical history has anything like this happened; a prophet or a holy man breathes on others the Holy Spirit. 

In the Old Testament we have God taking some of the Spirit from Moses to put it on the 70 elders.

In the new Testament we have Mary’s presence and words of greetings, which is not a lone presence but with the divine child in her womb, fills Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit and makes the child in her womb leap for Joy; a sign of the infilling of the Holy Spirit in John the Baptist.  

In the Gospel text of today we see Jesus breathed on the Apostles the Holy Spirit. 

The interesting fact about the narrative is that this Jesus is the post resurrection Jesus who still breathes.  It reminds one of the first breath of God mentioned in Scripture, when he breathed into Man’s nostril the breath of life and man becomes a living being. (Gen.  2:7)    

The living human being is no longer living; “For the wages of sin is death.” Rom 6:23 And “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom 3:23

God needs to once again breathe into that nostril of man and make him alive and this is exactly what Jesus does to his disciples.

His disciples are going to do it too and one way they will do it is through the ministry of forgiveness in every form; “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Therefore the sacrament of reconciliation which is the pastoral grace available to the faithful is an ideal opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit and to remain in that grace.

Prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.”  Ps 51:10-11

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