The Holy Spirit is present in this very promised time

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A reflection on the daily readings, for Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

+ You heard it said that: “It’s not what you say but how you say it.”

But I say to you: “It’s not only what you say but also how you say it.”

The scriptures proclaim today with fervor that Jesus Christ is the Great High Priest who offers himself — and just once — on the Cross.

And his death was also a one-time thing through which he, the Great High Priest, has entered into the Sanctuary — that is, the heavens.

This is not a man-made sanctuary like that of the temple, but a heavenly and eternal sanctuary.

And it is to be not only a sanctuary for us, but also our home.

And not knowing any of the significance of this Great High Priest in the person of Jesus, the Christ, the scribes hit Jesus with a two-punch attempt at a knockout: “he is possessed by Beelzebul“; and “he drives out demons by the power of the prince of demons.”

When will they learn? When will they open the eyes and the ears of their heart to understand?

And so Jesus answers with a parable and a statement.

He, in parable form, declares that if Satan drives out Satan, is that not the kingdom divided?

Can a person destroy his own kingdom and also have that kingdom stand and grow stronger?

It makes no sense, and is nonsense!

But Jesus, as usual, goes deeper and declares that there is unforgivable sin right before their very eyes and coming out of their very mouths.

The what and how that Jesus was trying to tell them was simply that the Holy Spirit of God was now present among them in this very promised time; to deny that, to refuse to see and hear that, was to sin in a very undeniable denial of God’s presence and was placing their very selves in unmoveable ignorance.

To choose ignorance is, as the word suggests, ignoring what is right before one’s very eyes. It is like looking directly into the sun, denying that it will hurt you, and then discovering that you have done irreparable damage to your eyes.

In short, you have gone blind.

And then, denying that you are blind!

O, silly scribes, wake up!

And if we have any such silliness within us, it is also time to wake up and see and smell — not the coffee, but rather to see and smell and hear and live the living and loving word of God!

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.