Eighth Sunday after Trinity AD 2024
The book of Exodus tells how Moses and Aaron went to the Pharaoh with a request that the Pharaoh would let the people of Israel go. Pharaoh demanded that they show him some miracle. Moses and Aaron then showed quite a few miracles, but Pharaoh called his magicians and sorcerers, and they performed the same with their magic.
This is a great example of how miracles alone are not a very conclusive evidence of whether someone is acting in the name of God or on behalf of the devil. This is true in our time as well, and especially when someone announces some great “miracle crusade”, one must be extremely careful. Often it is not the Holy Spirit, but evil spirits behind it.
Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit does various outstanding things, but the greatest miracles are those that St. Paul speaks of in today’s Epistle: mortifying the deeds of the flesh, adopting us as children of God, and bearing witness to Christ with our new life. If these three acts of the Holy Spirit are absent, then everything else is completely worthless.
Moreover, everything else can become dangerous, even destructive, as Jesus shows in today’s Gospel: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Those who have not been completely renewed by the Holy Spirit bear thorns instead of grapes, thistles instead of figs, and the Lord says to them: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Christ has given His Church the means of grace by which we are born again and continue to be built up and strengthened in a new life. He pours into us the gifts of His heavenly grace, which cause us to bear the good fruit of works according to God’s will.
In St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Thessalonians there is a stern warning: “Quench not the Spirit.” Sure, we are not stronger than the Holy Ghost, but it can happen that we quench the Spirit of God in ourselves – when we follow sin instead of righteousness, when we live in depravity instead of holiness, and prefer selfishness to love.
God wants to help us. He comes to our aid when we call on Him; He forgives our sins when we repent and ask for forgiveness; He sanctifies us with His Holy Spirit when we entrust ourselves to His grace and want to follow His good and saving will in everything. God loves us.