To convince the world of the loving power of Jesus, let him breath the Holy Spirit into us

In spite of so many hours practicing writing, diction, emphasis, rhythm, intonation, nonverbal language, etc., I have sadly discovered on many occasions that at the end of my preaching I have not managed to connect with my audience.

How then did those humble fishermen from Galilee manage to deliver their message so effectively 2,000 years ago? In an open field, without the help of a megaphone, without any preparation but what they heard from a carpenter for three years. Nevertheless their few words transformed the hearts and minds of hundreds.

All because of the power of a breath of air! The risen Jesus presents himself in the midst of easily frightened followers; he breathes upon them and transforms them into apostles saying, “Receive the holy Spirit.” “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:22, 21)

One breath was enough to make the difference! That breath was the same that impacted the nostrils of the first earthly man and infused life within him. (see Genesis 2:7) It is not enough to be “one of the living”; Jesus with his breath gives us the plenitude of life and he commits us to distribute it to all creation.

With that breath, Jesus enables us to defeat the malignant one, that is, sin in all of its forms that always brings with it death. His breath is the freshness of God’s forgiveness; it is the divine mercy that creates an insurmountable breach for the devil. It is the wind that blows away cowardice and discouragement from the followers and makes of them witnesses of the forgiveness of God that is pure gift, pure love.

The lungs of Jesus are full of the divine breath. It is that same breath that hurled him out of the tomb, conquering death forever. That breath of God’s love caused him to exclaim joyfully, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring the glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)

With the breath of God, the Father sent Jesus to the world to fulfill all this, and that same breath is the one with which he now hurls us into the world. “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

To convince the world of Jesus' powerful love, it is enough that we allow his presence to insufflate our interior. Only in this way can we recover sight for the one who is blind with envy and cannot contemplate in their person the beauty of what God has done. That way we will also be instruments of liberty for the one who is held captive by his own egotism; that breath will warm the hearts that are frozen and without human contact. It is a breath so powerful that it will alleviate the burdens of the oppressed, offering solace and hope.

Pushed by that breath, the disciples have walked from that moment to all the ends of the earth, opening new paths of fraternity, of justice, of forgiveness and of joy. New disciples are being formed in the church each day through catechesis and the sacraments, which are our energy and strength as believers.

This liturgical season I characterize by the joy of seeing hundreds of young people in our parishes receive the sacrament of confirmation. Many of those young people are also celebrating a high school graduation, and upon reaching this goal they must inevitably ask what the future may hold for them.

Like the disciples of long ago, the new disciples are also afraid of what may happen in their lives, but Jesus will never leave them. He comes to breathe into our lives the intelligence and the wisdom to make decisions according to his loving will. The presence of his Spirit transforms itself into  a powerful whirlwind that transports us to new fields where we can be witnesses — missionaries of service, joy, fraternity and communion. In all likelihood, that field where the divine breath takes us will be like a university.

The divine breath caused Mary to give us our redeemer, and it moved her to accompany the disciples with the great mission of convincing others by their words and life. Without a doubt, she will help us to be carried with docility to proclaim in all places the marvels that a single divine breath can create.

Let us allow ourselves to be joyfully carried away!

Eusebio Elizondo, M.Sp.S., is auxiliary bishop of Seattle and vicar for Hispanic ministry.

This is an English translation of a column that originally appeared in Spanish in the June 2014 issue of NORTHWEST CATHOLIC.