💖 HOMILY - MAY 27 💖

First Reading - Acts 16:22-34

Gospel - John 16:5-11

Many times, it feels as though our faith journey is a solitary walk, filled with silent struggles and quiet questions. Yet the truth is, we are never alone. From the beginning, Jesus promised us a companion—the Advocate, the Holy Spirit—who walks with us, guides us, and strengthens us along the way. Today’s readings bring this reality to life, showing us how the Holy Spirit moves powerfully in the lives of those who remain open to His presence.

The first reading offers a dramatic scene. Paul and Silas, unjustly beaten and imprisoned, are praying and singing hymns in the darkness of their cell. Suddenly, the earth shakes, the doors fly open, and their chains fall away. But what is most powerful is not the miracle of their release—it’s their decision to remain. They do not flee, and this unexpected choice touches the heart of the prison guard. His fear turns into faith. He witnesses something beyond human strength: the freedom that comes not just from broken chains, but from a transformed heart. The Holy Spirit moves through this moment—not only liberating the apostles, but awakening belief in the gaoler and his entire household. This is what the Spirit does: breaks barriers, opens hearts, and brings people to faith.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks with tenderness to his disciples who are heavy with sorrow at the thought of his departure. He does not leave them in their sadness but offers them a promise: another Advocate will come. This Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will continue the work Jesus began. He will open their eyes to the reality of sin—not just actions, but the deeper refusal to believe in Jesus. He will lead them into the truth that Jesus is the righteous One, and that through his death and resurrection, the power of evil has been judged and overcome. The Spirit will guide their consciences, form their hearts, and give them the courage to live and witness to the Gospel.

These words of Jesus are not just for the apostles—they are for us. The Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts too. He is constantly at work: stirring repentance in us, helping us to recognize the truth of Christ, and reminding us that we are accountable before God, not in fear, but in the hope of redemption.

Dear friends, the Holy Spirit is not distant. He is active in our lives—in the quiet whisper that calls us back when we stray, in the strength we find when we’re at our weakest, in the peace that defies logic in the midst of trials. But to experience the Spirit, we must do as Paul and Silas did—pray in the dark, sing in our suffering, and trust in God’s presence even when the world around us is shaking.

Let us not close our hearts to the movement of the Spirit. Like the gaoler, let us be open to recognizing God's work in unexpected ways. The Spirit does not come with noise and drama alone; sometimes He speaks in stillness, in love, in the courage to do what is right.

Let us pray today for open hearts and attentive spirits, that we may never miss the gentle, powerful presence of the Advocate who walks beside us, turning our chains into freedom and our sorrow into faith.