2009 PENTECOST

"I think also that I have the Spirit of God." (1 Cor. 7:40)
It is gratifying to know that we are the earthly body of Christ. The knowledge, however, that the life giving spirit in this body is the Christ himself should make us much happier. As the Apostle Paul reminds us:"Know you not that you are God's temple, and that God's spirit dwells in you?" (l Cor. 3:16) What is this spirit which dwells in us like? In the third gospel Luke tells us that Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem with his disciples, sent messengers ahead to find a place to stay but the people of the Samaritan village would not receive them. "When his disciples John and James saw it, they said, 'Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?' But he rebuked them, and said,'You know not what spirit you are of, for the Son of Man has noty come to destroy the lives of human beings but to save them.'And they went to another village." (Luke 9:54-56)
Indeed, we should strive to recognize the Spirit of Christ which resides in us so that we don't confuse our wrongful impulses with Christ's ways. Our most important Christian duty is to follow Christ, To follow him knowingly, supported by faith and spirit. We have to combine our faith with good deeds.
We see much evil in the world around us. More and more bad news about the economy keeps coming at us from every direction. The more bad news we hear, the more threatened we are by fearfulness and anxiety. Nevertheless as Christians we must live in trust and obedience to the God who never has and never will fail us.
What then are the requirements of being a Christian? We have to be generous, to be truth tellers and truth seekers, to strive for peace and relief from all kinds of oppression, to proclaim Life in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified and resurrected for the forgiveness of our sins.
These requirements are neither east nor simple but not impossible. Everything is possible for those who believe because the Holy Spirit of God acts in us and by us to make us witnesses of him. As Paul wrote about the indwelling Christ-Spirit,"But we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Cor. 1:23-24)
Christ gave us two major teachings for this earthly life. First that every man is equal, that Christ died for Caesars and slaves. And second that we have to share our daily bread as in a family.
Christ gave us two profound teachings for the heavenly life. First that we should repent, be sorry for our sins. And second that we should turn to God.
When we follow these teachings, our sins will be forgiven and we will gain everlasting life in Him. May the Spirit of Christ give us strength, endurance and courage for faith that moves mountains. Amen.
Attila L. Gyorgy
adjusted by Mary W. Feher