"The task ahead of me is never as great as the power behind me."

Yes, I thought as I read this simple statement early one morning a few weeks ago - that's true. But I don't just believe it, I know it's true because I've it's true because I've experienced this power helping me countless times since I was baptised in the Holy Spirit over 29 years ago. I know what Jesus meant when he spoke about being "clothed with the power from on high" (Lk.24:49), For some people this "clothing" has been the discovery of a new faith, for others an igniting of something that was always there. Talking of his own particular experience, the late Cardinal Suenens once said: "I did not discover the Holy Spirit through the Renewal. The Spirit had long been at the centre of my faith. But the Renewal gave new life to my faith in the Spirit". His encounter with the Charismatic Renewal released him into a greater experience and understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit, and helped him see the beginnings of the Church in a new light. I often find myself turning to the Acts of the Apostles, and what I read there never fails to encourage and excite me all over again. I'm reminded that the coming of the promised power from on high was to equip those early disciples for the task that lay ahead - the evangelisation of the world. No small challenge for a rather ordinary group of men and women, but their success was extraordinary. So what was it about those early Christians that the Cardinal saw in a new light, and what do they have to teach us?

Filling must precede effective ministry

As we look at the Books of Acts it is fascinating to see how often the words filled or or full occur to describe the occur to describe the action of the Spirit in the lives of the first disciples. The first time we see this is of course on the day of Pentecost, when "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4). Then in Acts 4:8 Peter and John are arrested and appear before the Sanhedrin. As Peter begins to address them he is described as "filled with the Holy Spirit". The result of Peter's eloquent and Spirit- filled explanation of what lay behind the healing of the crippled man, is that the elders and scribes are astonished at his assurance - after all, he is only an uneducated layman. Being filled with the Spirit produces remarkable results! Peter and John are then released with the caution that they are never again to speak in the name of Jesus. Undeterred by this threat all the disciples pray for boldness, are again filled with the Holy Spirit, and begin to proclaim the word of God boldly (verse 31). As I read on in the Book of Acts and came to chapter 6, I found that the criteria for choosing 7 men to take care of the distribution of the food was that they should be "of good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom" (6:3). One of those selected was Stephen, "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit", who in verse 8 begins to work miracles and great signs among the people because he is "filled with grace and power". As he faces death by stoning (7:55), he is again described as "filled with the Holy Spirit". In Acts 9:17 Ananias prays for Saul to recover his sight and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. For Ananias both things are vitally important, and 6 days later we find Saul "preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God" (9:20). Then in chapter 11 verse 24 we meet Barnabas "a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith". The result of his ministry in Antioch is that "a large number of people were won over to the Lord". These few examples make it quite clear to me that there is a definite link between effective ministry and being filled with the Holy Spirit. We find ourselves face to face with an evangelising Church, presenting a clear message of faith in Jesus Christ - a Church living a community life and to which the Lord was adding people day by day (Acts 2:42-47). In the course of a few months the numbers grow from a handful to several thousand. Yet these are the same men and women who followed Jesus for three years without showing any signs that they had the ability to turn the world upside down. So what happened? Quite simply they were transformed by their experience on Pentecost day - "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit."

An important message

The distinguishing characteristic of the Charismatic Renewal is its identification with that first Pentecost, and the conviction that the role and power of the Holy Spirit has not changed since that day. This has helped us to experience the same power, to receive the same gifts, and to see wonderful things happening around us. Once those first Christians had been filled with the Holy Spirit, we find that the Holy Spirit begins to speak to them and act in their lives day by day. In Acts 8:29, the Spirit speaks to Philip and tells him to go and meet the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch. Immediately the eunuch has accepted Jesus and been baptised, Philip is taken away by the Spirit of the Lord. In a similar way the Spirit speaks to Peter in Acts 10: 20 and 11:12, to Paul and Timothy in Acts 16:6, and again to Paul in Acts 20: 23. The lesson is clear - once they have been filled with the Holy Spirit, their ears are open, they can hear his voice and respond to his direction. So it is with you and me, and this is not something exceptional, only available to a few special people - this is the way it's supposed to be for every Christian. This is why Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, is such an important day in our liturgical year, and why the message of the Charismatic Renewal is so important for the Church.

What must we do?

We need to learn from the commitment and faith of the early Christians if we are again to see an evangelising and growing Church in our country. Improved catechetical courses, programmes of renewal, and a more enthusiastic laity are all well and good, but without the power of the Spirit there will be little lasting fruit. So as we celebrate Pentecost 2003 let's ask to be filled again with the love and power of the Holy Spirit, and let's commit ourselves to listening to his voice and doing what he asks. There's a special challenge here for those of us who know that our lives have been changed by our experience of the power of the Holy Spirit. We know the difference it makes - the "before" and the "after" - and we know we have been equipped for the tasks that lie ahead. So let's commit ourselves to praying for a new outpouring of the power from on high, but in all this let's take comfort from the knowledge that the task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us - what a challenge, and what an opportunity.