We are told in the first verse of Genesis, “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.” (Gen 1,1f) Creation begins with a mighty wind that is God’s creative Spirit, hovering and brooding over the seas of chaos and bringing order out of chaos, and creating everything new. Human life begins when God breathes his Spirit into the clay of the earth: “The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” (Gen 2,7) The Church is created on the day of Pentecost when, “suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the house in which they (the disciples) were.” (Acts 2,2) The disciples are healed and reconciled to the Father in peace when the Risen Christ appears to them and breathes on them in the gospel of John: “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (Jn 20,22) The Holy Spirit of God is “the Lord and giver of life.” God’s Spirit does not just create once in the beginning but is always creating in us a new person, formed and reformed in God’s image and likeness. The Holy Spirit is in the air that we breathe as we live and move and have our being in God.
Come, Creator Spirit, and renew the face of the earth! God’s creator Spirit dwells deep in our inner self to constantly create in us a new heart and a new mind. The Psalmist prays: “A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from your presence, nor take from me your holy Spirit.” (Ps 51,12f) God wants to create in us, through his Holy Spirit, a heart of pure love and a mind ordered to the truth. The Holy Spirit brings to those who are baptized in Jesus, the gifts of love and truth. St. Paul instructs the Ephesians: “You should put away your old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.” (Eph 4,22ff) We are not to be created and conformed to our earthly desires in the way of the world but rather, in God’s way, in the freedom of the children of God, in righteousness and holiness of truth. St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians: “For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who also gives his holy Spirit to you.” (1Thes 4,7f) The Holy Spirit is a gift and uncreated grace of new life, a divine and eternal life, that is infused into our souls through the breath of the Spirit. Jesus says to Nicodemus in the gospel of John: “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (Jn 3,8f)
God shows to Ezekiel in chapter 37 of his book, a vision of a valley of dry bones. He makes Ezekiel walk among these dry bones and see how dry they are, how lifeless and how numerous. He then asks Ezekiel a question: “Son of man, can these bones come to life?” Ezekiel answers the Lord, “Lord God, you alone know that.” God then instructs Ezekiel: “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life.” The bones rattle and come together but there was yet no spirit in them. Then the Lord tells Ezekiel: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord God: From the four winds come, O spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.” Ezekiel speaks God’s word to the bones and they come to life. They were saying to God, “Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off.” God says to his people, “I will put my spirit in you that you may live.” Our hope is that God can pour his Spirit into us once again and renew us in life. Then, as St. Paul assures the Romans, “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom 5,5)
For 50 days we have been celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead but, through the dry bones of Ezekiel, we see that we need more than just to be raised up, we need the Spirit of God, the breath of new life, to be poured into our hearts so that we might have new life in the Spirit and so that we can live and walk in “the newness of life”. We need to be continuously created anew in our hearts and in our minds. The Spirit is the foundation of a new hope that does not disappoint but that will lead us to the fullness of life in Christ Jesus.
More than ever before we need the gift of the Holy Spirit to be breathed into us again and give us new life. The Holy Spirit is our friend and companion, our advocate and guide, who speaks for us when we are facing trials. The Holy Spirit is given to us to renew us and establish us in God’s grace. The Holy Spirit is given to us to sanctify us and to make us holy. The Holy Spirit is given to us for prayer to help us when we do not know how to pray as we ought. The Holy Spirit is given to us for instruction, to teach us the way of God and to lead us into all truth. The Holy Spirit of God is given to us for courage to be steadfast in the way of truth. The Holy Spirit is given to us for love, to enkindle within us the fire of God’s love. The Holy Spirit is given to us for peace, a peace that is beyond all understanding. The Holy Spirit is pure gift and grace that gives us unique gifts to build up the Body of Christ, the Church. We just need to catch our breath and be renewed in the Spirit. Let us cry out: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.” Amen! Alleluia! Alleluia!