Pentecost Sunday 2025

-

We’ve all heard someone say, “It looks like that person is rubbing off on you!”

Maybe you’ve picked up a friend’s catchphrase… started telling jokes like your dad… or caught yourself reacting just like your mom. It happens. Who we spend time with shapes us. The people we surround ourselves with influence how we speak, how we act, and even how we think.

So here’s the question for today:

What happens when you start spending time with the Holy Spirit? What happens when the Spirit starts rubbing off on you?

That’s the heart of today’s feast.
 On Pentecost, we celebrate the day the Holy Spirit came down—not just as a symbol, but as power. A mighty wind. Tongues of fire. A group of frightened followers suddenly speaking in every language under heaven. It’s not just a miracle of communication—it’s a miracle of transformation.

That’s what happens when the Spirit rubs off on you.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus appears to his disciples behind locked doors. They’re afraid. Confused. Still stuck in Good Friday. And the first thing he says is, “Peace be with you.” Then he breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Breath means life. Breath means presence.
 Jesus isn’t giving them a pep talk—he’s giving them his very Spirit.

But notice: it doesn’t end there.
 That gift of the Spirit carries a mission: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And with the Spirit comes the power to forgive, to heal, to build up.

In the first reading from Acts, that promise explodes into reality. The apostles go from hiding to proclaiming. From fear to boldness. From silence to testimony. And all around, people hear them—not in confusion, but in their own language. The Spirit makes unity out of diversity.

Then in 1 Corinthians, St. Paul tells us how this continues in the Church:

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit… different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.”

In other words, the Spirit doesn't make us all the same. The Spirit makes us all useful—for the good of others. We become parts of a living Body, each with a role.

But here’s the key:
 Just like other people “rub off” on us the more time we spend with them, the Holy Spirit rubs off on us the more time we spend with Him.

If we want to become more patient, more kind, more joyful, more faithful—it starts with making space for the Spirit. The more we open ourselves through prayer, through Scripture, through the sacraments, through acts of charity—the more the Spirit can shape us from within.

Try this:

  • When you feel frustrated, ask the Spirit for patience.

  • When you're tempted to react in anger, ask for gentleness.

  • When you’re feeling hopeless, ask for joy.

  • When facing a tough decision, ask for wisdom.

  • When you’re spiritually dry, ask the Spirit to breathe life back into your heart.

These daily invitations make room for the Spirit to move.
 That’s when transformation begins. That’s when the Spirit starts to “rub off” on us. That’s when our hearts begin to reflect Christ’s.

And little by little, we find ourselves more at peace.
 More generous.
 More grounded.
 More free.

So today, on this Feast of Pentecost, I invite all of us—myself included—to take that first step:
 Spend time with the Holy Spirit. Invite Him in. Talk to Him. Listen. Rest in Him.

Because when you do, don’t be surprised if people start saying:
 “Hey… something’s different about you. Something holy is rubbing off.”

And that, my friends, is exactly the point.

Come, Holy Spirit. Rub off on us. Transform us. Unite us. Send us.
 Amen.



Location: Morrisonville, NY, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

-
Image
  St. Augustine's Church in Peru, NY.  I would love to fill these pews with divorced Catholics who are looking for a spiritual home! We’ve all seen how difficult relationships can be, haven’t we?  Whether it’s in our own families or with close friends, we’ve experienced the pain and heartache that come when a marriage falls apart.  I’ve seen it in my own family too—my two brothers have gone through divorces, and it wasn’t easy for anyone involved.  It’s tough on the husband, the wife, the kids, and even friends who don’t know what to say or do. And I know many of you have similar stories. Today’s readings bring up the topic of marriage, and maybe when you hear them, they touch a sensitive spot. It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but it’s important because, whether we like it or not, divorce is part of our reality.  It affects so many of us, and sometimes we’re left wondering what the Church really thinks about it. When Jesus talks about marriage today,...
Read more

21st Sunday in Ordinary time 2024

-
Image
  A man was praying, and he said, 'Lord, why do you have to make everything so complicated?' Suddenly, he heard a voice from heaven reply, 'If it were easy, you wouldn't need me!' And isn’t that the truth? Sometimes we wish everything in life and faith were simple. But as we see in today’s readings, not everything is easy to accept or understand. And maybe that’s exactly the point: faith, especially when it's challenging, invites us to rely on God even more. In today’s readings, we encounter some very challenging words—words that, even 2,000 years after they were written, still cause discomfort.  St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, speaks about subordination, specifically saying, “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands.”  And then, in the Gospel, many of Jesus’ own disciples, after hearing His teaching, declare, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” These two passages highlight a theme we can all relate to—dealing with teachings that challenge u...
Read more

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024

-
Image
  My father and mother, Philip and Barbara Looby.  My Dad coined a phrase: "You're wearing the beads and carrying the jacket!" Growing up, my father had a saying that he’d say to me whenever he felt like I wasn’t following through with my commitments to clubs or activities like Boy Scouts, band, or chorus.  He’d look at me and say, “Chris, you’re wearing the beads and carrying the jacket!”  At first, I didn’t quite get it, but over time I realized what he meant. I was showing up—I had all the outward signs of being involved—but I wasn’t actually doing the work. I wasn’t fully committed to living out what it meant to be part of those groups. I think that saying can apply to our lives as Christians too. We might wear the cross, come to Mass, and say our prayers, but are we really living out our faith in action?  Or are we just “wearing the beads and carrying the jacket” without fully committing ourselves to the work of the Gospel? In today’s readings, we hear a cl...
Read more