Easter: May 20th

Pentecost Sunday

MASS READINGS

May 20, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Almighty ever-living God, who willed the Paschal Mystery to be encompassed as a sign in fifty days, grant that from out of the scattered nations the confusion of many tongues may be gathered by heavenly grace into one great confession of your name. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday) ; Other Titles: Whitsunday; Pinkster Sunday

And when the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire, which settled upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak (Acts 2, 1-4).

Pentecost Sunday marks the end of the first novena.

Pentecost (Whitsunday), with Christmas and Easter, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity. It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.

The feast of St. Bernadine of Siena, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Pentecost
After Jesus had ascended to heaven from Mt. Olivet, the apostles and disciples returned to the Holy City. They remained together in the Upper Room or Cenacle, the place where Jesus had appeared to them and which may well be called the first Christian church. About a hundred and twenty persons were assembled there. They chose Matthias as an apostle in place of the unhappy Judas; they prayed and waited for the Paraclete.

Ten days had passed, it was Sunday, the seventh Sunday after the resurrection. At about nine o'clock in the morning, as they were together praying fervently, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Note how all the great theophanies in Christ's life occurred during the course of prayer. After His baptism, for instance, when Jesus was praying the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove; likewise, it was during prayer at night that the transfiguration took place on Tabor. Surely too it was while Mary was praying that Gabriel delivered his message, and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. Pentecost followed precedent. The small community of Christians had prepared themselves through prayer for the coming of the Paraclete. The same is true at Mass today, every day; through prayer we ready our souls for the advent of the Spirit.

The descent upon the apostles was internal and invisible in nature although accompanied by certain visible phenomena. There came a mighty roar, like the onrush of a violent wind. It came suddenly, from heaven; but unlike storms that strike a structure from without, this one penetrated and filled the room where the disciples were gathered. Therefore it was not a natural wind, it was a miracle peculiar to the occasion. A second visible sign consisted in tongues of fire that descended upon each one present. These fiery tongues gave visible evidence that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them.

Today at Mass, particularly at holy Communion, the power of the Holy Spirit will come down upon us; fiery tongues will not be seen, but invisible tongues of fire will not be absent. There was still another external manifestation of the Holy Spirit; the apostles and disciples were enabled to speak various languages.

After the roar of the wind many of Jerusalem's pilgrims hurried to the Cenacle. Pentecost was one of the three festivals which obliged all Jews to be present in Jerusalem. Jews from distant lands, and Jewish converts from paganism too, attended these feasts. As a result, a colorful crowd speaking a variety of languages surrounded the house. Now the apostles, who so shortly before had hid in fear behind locked doors, came forth and courageously walked among the multitude speaking to each in his native tongue. It was indeed amazing! Galileans, and multilingual?

But the malicious too were present; they had the answer. Nothing marvelous at all! Those Galileans were simply drunk, and their drunken babble sounded like a foreign language! Peter showed no hesitation in answering the charge. None of their number, he said, were intoxicated; it was but nine o'clock in the morning, and at that hour men usually are sober. What the multitude saw was, in fact, the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy: In those days (of the Messiah), God will pour forth His Spirit upon men and they will prophesy. . . . Then the apostle pointed his words more directly against the accusers: they had killed Jesus, had nailed Him to the Cross; but God had awakened Him and after His departure to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit.

The pilgrims who had heard Peter give this first pentecostal sermon "were pierced to the heart and said: Brethren, what shall we do? But Peter said to them: Repent and be baptized; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Three thousand responded.

One final question: why the miracle of tongues? In answer, recall the story regarding the tower of Babel. Puffed up by pride, men attempted to build a tower that would touch the heavens. To punish their sin, God confused their speech. Sin causes confusion and division. Now Christ came to gather all men into His Church and thereby to unite them to Himself. This should result in creating but one family of nations again. To this blessed state the miracle of tongues points.

Yes, even we as individuals have a gift of tongues which all men can understand. It is the gift of love infused into us by the Holy Spirit. Love unites, love is a common language, by means of love we can speak to all nations.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Things to Do:

Meditate on Fr. Roger Landry's homily for Pentecost Sunday.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 20:19-23

Pentecost Sunday

Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)

Imagine being one of the disciples on Easter Sunday. The past few days have been marked, not only by the tragic death of Jesus, but also by your own spectacular failure. After spending so much time with Jesus, watching him perform miracles and hearing him speak about God’s mercy, you deserted him in his hour of need. You couldn’t even stay awake with him as he prayed at Gethsemane!

But now Jesus has risen and is standing right in front of you. Seeing him again, alive but still wounded, brings back these memories. You cringe inwardly and wait for him to upbraid you for your unbelief—again. But instead, he says the last thing you expect: Peace be with you. (John 20:19)

No condemnation, no anger, not even a mild rebuke. Just pure meek-but-powerful mercy. He still loves you. He still treasures you. All he is concerned about is that you find peace.

Your heart melts. Joy fills your being. You want to express your gratitude and praise, but words fail you. Then, Jesus says something else unexpected: As the Father has sent me, so I send you. (John 20:21)

God had just sent Jesus back to you as a sign of his love and mercy. He has sent Jesus so that you can see what love looks and feels like. And now Jesus is sending you to do the same thing? How can you possibly show such love? How can you possibly be like Christ? Sensing your confusion, Jesus breathes on you: Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)

Once more, your heart melts. Only this time, the feeling is more personal. The Holy Spirit is pouring God’s love and mercy into your heart. That’s how he is sending you out: forgiven, filled with his love, and equipped to share that love.

Jesus is sending you too, just as the Father sent him. He is breathing his Spirit into you, just as he did for his disciples. Embrace your mission today on this great feast of Pentecost. Embrace the Holy Spirit.

“Come, Holy Spirit! Make me your ambassador.”

Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34
1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13

A Christian Pilgrim

THE LANGUAGE OF THE SPIRIT

(A biblical refection on the PENTECOST SUNDAY, 20 May 2018)

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11

Psalms: Psalm 104:1,24,29-34; Second Reading: Galatians 5:16-25; Gospel Reading: John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

The Scripture Text

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:1-11 RSV)

A group of dispirited followers of Jesus had gathered and locked themselves in an upper room, probably the same room where the last supper was held. There was more perspiration than inspiration in the room. There was fear and suspicion. The room was occupied by a group of followers who were afraid that they would suffer the same fate as their Master. So they listened to every step on the stair; they waited for the knock of the executioner; they prayed that no one would discover their hiding-place and that the world leave them safe in their sacred enclosure.

In contrast there is the powerful image of the Holy Spirit as one who is not shy of the boundaries and the barriers that people erect. He is not halted by locked doors or locked hearts; He doesn’t exclude Himself from the restrictive areas people settle in. When the Spirit comes, it is not like a spring breeze that whispers unnoticed through a room; it is more like a hurricane that lays flat all the precious protections against its force. And the Spirit takes this group of dispirited followers and fires them with a new energy and a new enthusiasm and a new authority.

The presence of the Spirit makes the disciples open their lives to others: they don’t just decorate their sacred enclosure, they leave it and pass over into the lives of other people with the gifts of Gospel and peace and forgiveness.

The disciples go outdoors. They go to the market-place where people gather and there they proclaim to all how they have been changed by the power of the Spirit. They tell a Magnificat and proclaim how God has worked wonders in them. At first the crowds think that the apostles are drunk – no doubt because they’re sure it takes some kind of spirit to transform these men. Whatever it is, everyone acknowledges that something happened to dramatically change the outlook and behaviour of the followers of Jesus. The name of that experience is Spirit.

The crowd’s second reaction is a joyous one when they realize that the apostles are speaking their language. Perhaps we’ve all heard people say to us in a mixture of relief and enthusiasm: “Now you’re speaking my language!” When that happens there is communion, where before there had only been misunderstanding and division. The apostles got through to people, they spoke the deep language that is in all of us and which rarely gets spoken. It is the language in search of understanding; it is music in search of a melody. Saint Paul spoke of it as inarticulate groaning, the cry of the spirit within us. The apostles reach people in this profound language. It is the language of the Spirit.

Source: Denis McBride, CSsR, SEASONS OF THE WORD, Britain: Redemptorist Publications, 1991 (third printing September 1993), pages 162-163.

Prayer: Father of light, from whom every good gift comes, send Your Holy Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind, and by the flame of Your wisdom open the horizons of our minds. Loosen our tongues to sing Your praise in words beyond the power of speech, for without Your Holy Spirit man could never raise His voice in words of peace or announce the truth that Jesus is Lord, who lives and reign with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We Live in a War-Zone!

Pastor’s Column

Pentecost Sunday

May 20, 2018

The second reading for Pentecost Sunday is so important for our spiritual discernment that I want to reprint some of it for our continued reflection (Galatians 5: 16-25—Jerusalem Bible):

“If you are guided by the Spirit, you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions…

Impurity

Lust

Idolatry

Sorcery

Outbursts of fury

Jealousy

Acts of selfishness

Dissentions

Factions

Drinking bouts

Orgies and the like.

I warn you as I warned you before that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. What the Spirit brings is very different:

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Goodness

Kindness

Gentleness

Self-control

…You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit’s lead.”

Brothers and sisters, we live in a spiritual war-zone. Each of us is in fact on the front lines of the battle, with the enemy of our soul tempting us on one side and the Lord and his armies on the other. The battle rages both within and around us! In this Sunday’s second reading from Galatians, Saint Paul gives us this checklist to help us discern whose side of the battle we are fighting on: am I standing in the territory of the enemy at this moment, in this decision, or am I a force for good in the power of the Holy Spirit?

Even Saint Paul acknowledged that none of us wins every battle. This is why we rely on the mercy of Christ, who forgives our sins. Many people don’t even realize that life is really a spiritual battle zone! Whether we realize it or not, every decision and action of ours will bear fruit ultimately on the side of self-indulgence, or on the side of the Holy Spirit. Selfishness, angry outbursts, impurity, impatience… none of this comes from the Holy Spirit! When we see these types of fruits being manifested in our lives, it means that something needs to be corrected in our spiritual life.

This is exactly why Saint Paul gives us these two lists, because we need a constant reminder to help us discern regularly whose side we are fighting on, God’s or his enemy! The fruits of our decisions and actions will tell the real story. In order to see this, however, we will want to become more spiritually aware by examining our lives and actual decisions on a daily basis.

In many ways each church, like Saint Edward, is on the front lines of a kind of spiritual battle for souls that is taking place throughout the world. We come to Mass and participate in other activities here in order to be nourished in our faith, fed by the Eucharist and the other sacraments, strengthened by our fellowship with others, and to give to our neighbor of what we have by our presence and by our gifts, sacrifices and finances.

Sometimes we let Christ in through the front door (by praying, coming to church or doing good works, for example), but at the same time, we open a window and let the enemy in too (watching pornography and impurity in the media and internet and self-centered behaviors at home, school and work, for example).

The question to ask ourselves is this: if I am continually falling in certain areas of self-indulgence, am I really at war with these sinful choices? What must I do to overcome them? Am I really avoiding the situations that cause me to fall into sin? Am I making a good confession on a regular basis? Is any form of fasting (food, media) a part of my regime? Do I really make God and prayer a priority in my life? By following the Holy Spirit’s lead, we can already begin to live in heaven, no matter how much suffering we may be experiencing, because to live in heaven is to do the will of God.

Father Gary

Reflections from Scott Hahn

A New Wind: Scott Hahn Reflects on Pentecost Sunday

Download Audio File

Pentecost, Botticelli, 1495-1505

Readings:
Acts 2:1–11
Ps 104:1, 24, 29–31, 34
1 Cor 12:3–7, 12–13
Jn 20:19–23

The giving of the Spirit to the new people of God crowns the mighty acts of the Father in salvation history.

The Jewish feast of Pentecost called all devout Jews to Jerusalem to celebrate their birth as God’s chosen people in the covenant Law given to Moses at Sinai (see Leviticus 23:15–21; Deuteronomy 16:9–11).

In today’s First Reading, the mysteries prefigured in that feast are fulfilled in the pouring out of the Spirit on Mary and the Apostles (see Acts 1:14).

The Spirit seals the new law and new covenant brought by Jesus, written not on stone tablets but on the hearts of believers, as the prophets promised (see Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:2–8; Romans 8:2).

The Spirit is revealed as the life-giving breath of the Father, the Wisdom by which He made all things, as we sing in today’s Psalm.

In the beginning, the Spirit came as a “mighty wind” sweeping over the face of the earth (see Genesis 1:2). And in the new creation of Pentecost, the Spirit again comes as “a strong, driving wind” to renew the face of the earth.

As God fashioned the first man out of dust and filled him with His Spirit (see Genesis 2:7), in today’s Gospel we see the New Adam become a life-giving Spirit, breathing new life into the Apostles (see 1 Corinthians 15:45, 47).

Like a river of living water, for all ages He will pour out His Spirit on His body, the Church, as we hear in today’s Epistle (see also John 7:37–39).

We receive that Spirit in the sacraments, being made a “new creation” in Baptism (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).

Drinking of the one Spirit in the Eucharist (see 1 Corinthians 10:4), we are the first fruits of a new humanity—fashioned from out of every nation under heaven, with no distinctions of wealth or language or race, a people born of the Spirit.

"We hear them speaking . . . of the mighty acts of God."

The Word: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/052018-mass-during-day.cfm

John 20: 19 - 23

In the beautiful second reading from Corinthians this Sunday, among other varied choices, we hear: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone . . .”

These words of Paul reflect the earliest of Christian communities that Paul had established. It gives us a window into what Christian communities may have been like, yet certainly not without tension. Yet, aren’t we very much the same. In the experience of their diverse forms of spiritual gifts, varied forms of service, and different works Paul and these enriched communities saw for themselves how and where the Holy Spirit had become concretely obvious to their communities and beyond.

However, one might say that such diversity is a recipe for chaos that might breed competition, jealously, greed, arrogance, create factions and spawn selfishness. Ordinarily, without some common purpose or some shared vision, that might be the case. Yet, for Paul and for us still today what is the barrier that prevents such from happening? It is our common belief that what holds us together and is always a check on our tendency to think of “Me first,” is the power of the Holy Spirit that reminds us that we are sharers in the mission of Christ, something far beyond our selves, yet a very active part of it. Whether our varied works may be small or more noticed they all contribute to the common good of the community each in their own way.

Some may be obvious like music, liturgical ministries, teaching, and charitable works and others more behind the scenes like washing dishes, cleaning altar linens, arranging flowers in typical parish life but all are part of a whole and all are needed to build up the Body of Christ, the Church, and to carry that mission beyond our own individual worlds. To know this and to see that as our common point of focus and source of life is to live in the Spirit. We all share one baptism, one faith, and drink from the same Spirit, where all come together around the altar of sacrifice each Sunday with Christ our Head and our food for this journey.

The second reading choice from Galatians reminds us to seek the fruits, the signs, of the Spirit’s presence among us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. If we see these things expressed in the unity of our community, then the Holy Spirit is alive in our midst.

The story of the Spirit’s presence through wind, fire, and diverse languages that we hear of in the first reading from Acts, is one that caught the Apostles, gathered with Mary, unaware yet hopeful as they prayed. It reminds us that the Christian message of salvation in Jesus Christ, the Kerygma as it is called, is meant for a much wider community than the small one gathered in Jerusalem that day. The diverse language of ancient people spoken by the Apostles unifies the varied crowd gathered outside the room as they all heard of “the mighty acts of God” in one common, united message of hope and salvation in Christ. And so the mission of the Church and the Church itself is born.

We can see the connection with ourselves today. All one need do is take a look around at the many gathered on any weekend for Mass. There may be nothing more expressive of our unity in diversity, our Catholic nature of Christianity, than to be present for a public audience with the Holy Father at the Vatican. Or to travel to other countries of the world and hear there an unfamiliar language and culture but to see that common form of our Mass which brings us home to one another. Or to see the multiple forms of Christian service, ministries as they may be called, in any parish, yet to know that unity in Christ Jesus is always our common bond. To live in the Spirit is to remain connected to the branches of the vine and to follow one Shepherd whose voice we hear.

Is there any comparison in the world these days to the united diversity of the Catholic Church? Yes, the Church has been through much, has caused scandal and not behaved the best over the centuries but that is because it is composed of flawed human beings. As the Second Vatican Council wisely admitted, the Church is constantly in need of reform. And that constant reform has produced saints, scholars, theologians, and holy people literally everywhere across this globe. It is remarkable and owes it existence to the Spirit's constant presence.

And so the Church and its varied members constituting hundreds of millions all across the globe are all missionary disciples as Pope Francis has said. We all share in that common mission given to the Church thousands of years ago at Pentecost. Let the Spirit blow strong in our lives to bring, as the Gospel from John reminds us, Jesus’ mission of forgiveness and healing to a world broken by sin. We can stifle, block, or resist the work of God’s grace in our lives for sure but the Holy Spirit’s presence is a life force that will forever be present moving and forming us as the People of God.

O God, who by the mystery of today's great feast

sanctify your whole Church in every people and nation,

pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit

across the face of the earth

and, with the divine grace that was at work

when the Gospel was first proclaimed,

fill now once more the hears of believers.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

(Collect of Mass)

Regnum Christi

May 20, 2018 – The Power of the Spirit

Pentecost Sunday

John 20: 19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Introductory Prayer: Today, Lord, we celebrate the gift of your Holy Spirit to the Church, which you won for us through your patient suffering on the cross. I believe and trust in his power to make me a better apostle of your Kingdom, to bring fervor where I have grown tepid, to instill detachment where I have become too indulgent, and to perfect the innocence of my baptism, which leaves my soul more pure and worthy to serve and honor you each day.

Petition: Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart with your grace and enkindle in me the fire of your love.

1. The Doors Were Locked: What is it that makes a disciple of Christ stop cold in the path of conversion and commitment? Cloaked underneath our spiritual inertia and lack of zeal are not so much our personal defects or our lack of human virtue as blindness to the dynamic power of the Crucified and Risen Lord. We can leave our self-made prisons only by opening our hearts to a faith in Christ that is total: total trust (in spite of the confusion of the present and uncertainty of the future), total hope (by breaking away from having to see the ideal in ourselves before we will act), and total divine confidence (in setting aside the sins of others and our personal failures that keep us stuck in myopic visions of life). Christ comes through bolted doors again today to ask us to unlock them with an authentic experience of the Risen Lord in the power of the Spirit.

2. Peace Be With You: It is vital to examine our “peace” and see if it truly speaks of the peace of the Upper Room. Substitute “satisfaction” for the word “peace,” and see where our hearts have tried to find consolation this past week. Then substitute the word “fulfillment.” This is the peace that Christ brings through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some passing satisfactions are part of life, and we can be grateful for them. When we seek them for their own sake, however, we can easily drown out the life of the Spirit, who comes to bring us deep peace and fulfillment in life. Pentecost must convince us above all about prayer and the order of life that permit us to have constant contact with sources of grace and divine inspiration.

3. Receive the Holy Spirit: In the sacrament of penance, we are forgiven our sins through the action of the Holy Spirit, who makes the actions of Christ present through the priest. We believe that mercy founds hope and change in our soul. Why, then, do we not believe that this same grace from the Holy Spirit can make us heroic saints, victorious in trial, patient in difficult relationships and more effective as apostles? Christ assures us that his power will never leave us, so we have no reason to “slip into neutral” after a few bad incidents in our life. Rather, the Holy Spirit’s goal moves us from mercy to transformation into Christ, permitting us spiritually to carry and reveal his wounds to an unbelieving world.

Conversation with Christ: Oh, Jesus, I will trust more in the power of your Holy Spirit to change me than in my own efforts. I will depend on you in that face-to-face encounter I need to have with you every day. Let the sources of divine grace become my true food, and may I move away from feeding my soul on passing pleasures and vain ambitions.

Resolution: This week, I will write down daily all the lights and inspirations of the Holy Spirit I receive, and I will try to act on them with promptness, confidence and generosity.

Scripture Speaks: Pentecost Sunday

Gayle Somers

On Resurrection Day, Jesus breathed on His disciples, a gesture odd in itself but packed with meaning for our celebration of Pentecost today.

Gospel (Read Jn 20:19-23)

Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus surprised the disciples “on the evening of that first day of the week” by appearing in their midst without using a door (locked “for fear of the Jews”). We wonder if He had to calm them down a bit, because He said, twice, “Peace be with you.” We can imagine how startled they were. He showed them His wounds, in case they thought He was a ghost. Then, Jesus gave the apostles an astonishing commission: “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.” What had begun three years earlier with a call to “Follow Me” (Mt 4:19) culminated in a sending out. Their work was to be a continuation of the divine apostleship of Jesus (“apostle” means “one sent”; see Heb. 3:1).

If we have paid attention to the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ companionship with these men, we have seen clear indications that He intended to give the apostles authority to build His Church and do His work. We are impressed by the scope of their mission but not really surprised by it. However, after announcing His directive to them, Jesus steps out of the expected with an action that can only be described as strange: “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” Don’t let familiarity with this verse rob it of its shock value. Why on earth did Jesus breathe on His apostles?

To understand this moment, so different from anything we’ve yet seen in any Gospel account, we have to go back to the beginning, to the first time divinity breathed on humanity. At Creation, “the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). There is no clearer image than this of God’s desire to impart His own life into man, who is made in His image and likeness. Adam and Eve’s fall into sin robbed them (and us) of their inheritance as God’s children, but the entire story of salvation reveals God’s plan to restore and renew His life in us. So vivid is this image of God’s breath in man that it appears again at the time of the prophet, Ezekiel. God’s people, Israel, were in exile in Babylon; they had been ravaged by their enemies as punishment for their covenant unfaithfulness. They represent all of us who are spiritually dead and entirely helpless. However, in His unrelenting determination to restore His people, God says to Ezekiel (whom He called “son of man”): “’Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O LORD God, Thou knowest.’ Again He said, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD…Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live…and you shall know that I am the LORD’” (Ez 36:3-6).

When we know this Old Testament history, Jesus breathing on the apostles on Resurrection Day no longer seems so odd, does it? In this gesture, He begins the divinization of man, always God’s intention for His children. The renewal of humanity begins, once again, with the breath of God. For the apostles, this unique action enabled them to truly be Jesus’ continuing presence on earth. They will forgive or retain sins, an action reserved for Divinity. What about the rest of us? Will the breath of God blow on us, too? The other readings will help answer this question.

Possible response: Father, thank You for loving us enough to share Your own breath with us—a marvel beyond description.

First Reading (Read Acts 2:1-11)

At His Ascension, Jesus told the apostles not to start on their mission of making disciples of all nations until they received “power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). This helps us see that Jesus’ action of breathing on them on Resurrection Day was an initiation into the Holy Spirit, not the fullness they were meant to have. For that, Jesus had them wait for the Jewish feast of Pentecost, nine days later. Pentecost originally had been a harvest festival in the Jewish liturgical calendar; gradually it also became associated with a memorial celebration of God’s giving of the Law to His people at Mt. Sinai, when they had been delivered from slavery in Egypt. The Law, or Torah, gave the people a way of life that would distinguish them from all other peoples on earth. To seal the covenant, God actually came down on top of Mt. Sinai, manifested in fire, smoke, thunder, an earthquake, and the loud sound of a trumpet (see Ex 19:16-19). It was quite the fireworks show!

We need to know this history, because it helps us understand why Jesus waited until Pentecost to send the Holy Spirit on His Church. Drawing on all the parallels with God’s visit to Mt. Sinai, the Jews gathered there in Jerusalem that day could comprehend this action as the “harvest” of God’s people, ready now, because of Jesus’ accomplished work, to receive God’s new Law of Love, to be written not on stone tablets but in the hearts of men by the Holy Spirit. Just as God’s descent on Sinai meant the formation of Israel as a nation, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost meant the formation of Jews and Gentiles into the Church, the new Israel.

Of course, the events on Pentecost evoke the deep symbolism of wind and fire throughout the Old Testament, not just at the Mt. Sinai covenant. At Creation, “the wind” of God (literally, God’s “breath”) hovered over the waters of the earth, ready to do God’s bidding as He brought forth life (Gen 1:2). The “wind” of God also blew apart the waters of the Red Sea so God’s people could escape from their enemies, the Egyptians. As for fire, recall that God first appeared to Moses, the deliverer of His people, in a fiery bush. Also, the people had to follow a pillar of fire to make their way home to the Promised Land.

The more we know of the imagery representing God in the Old Testament, the more we understand the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost as an explosionof fulfilled promises! See that the tongues of fire rested over each of the apostles. They will now be God’s presence in His Church, leading His people on their journey home to heaven. To this day, the bishops of the Church, who are successors of these apostles, wear hats (mitres) in the shape of a flame of fire. They are marked out as our pillars of fire, leading us on our pilgrim journey home to heaven.

What about the effects of all this amazing action? The apostles were miraculously able to communicate the Gospel in the foreign tongues of the Jews assembled there. All male Jews were required to make a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for this feast; that explains why “there were devout Jews from every nation” there. This immediately evokes the history of Babel (see Gen 11:1-9). There human pride made a grab at heaven by building a tower up to God. The solidarity of men (made possible by one language) was perverted to accomplish an evil end. God broke it by confusing the one language into many. Now, in the fullness of time, God grants the human solidarity for which man longs (because he is made for that) but which he cannot naturally achieve. The Holy Spirit creates supernatural solidarity, represented here by all men being able to hear, in their own language, the mighty works of God. This time, God reaches down to man rather than man trying to climb up to God.

So, now that we understand something of the background of Pentecost, we can ask whether all the rest of us who aren’t apostles will also have a share in this breath of God. The answer is YES. In verses not included in today’s reading, Peter answers the “what about us?” question: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:28). Jesus wants to breathe on all of us and thus renew the face of the earth.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, may Your Church always live in the joy of Pentecost, in awe of Your power and presence.

Psalm (Read Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34)

Today’s psalm celebrates the life-giving power of God’s Spirit. Written long before the Day of Pentecost, it nevertheless summarizes both the past and the future. “If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust” (Ps 104:29) reminds us of the Fall, at the beginning of man’s story. Disobedience led to death: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19b). “When You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104:30) describes our celebration today. The world, weary in sin, is in dire need of refreshment and renewal. Maybe we are, too. The psalm response is the perfectPentecost prayer: “Lord, send out Your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13)

The Gospel showed us God’s desire to once again breathe His life into man. The Book of Acts showed us that the gift of God’s breath, the Holy Spirit, entered the stream of human history on the Day of Pentecost, producing miraculous results. In the epistle, St. Paul gives us a theological reflection on the meaningof all this history. He explains that none of us can confess Jesus as Lord without the Holy Spirit. Our Christian faith is, itself, a work of God’s breath, the Spirit, in us. That Spirit gives to believers a wide variety of spiritual gifts, creating diversity of service in His Church. However, because it is “the same God” Who produces this diversity, we are “one body.” St. Paul’s emphasis here is on the unity created by the Holy Spirit. Let’s consider this for a moment.

Unity is the distinguishing characteristic of the Trinity—three Persons in One. Man, created in the image and likeness of God, is hard-wired for unity, for communion with both God and others. Sin shattered this unity (recall the immediate fracture of Adam and Eve’s relationship with God and each other in the Garden). Babel showed us that when men actually cobble together unity, their pride bends them towards a perverse use of it.

God’s descent on Mt. Sinai was for the purpose of forming one nation for Himself out of many tribes. He gave them one way to worship and one law to live by. In time, that nation fractured, and a large part of it completely disappeared. Men cannot create unity for themselves, although their hearts long for it. Fittingly, unity in His Church was the one thing for which Jesus prayed as He faced His Passion: “I…pray…that they may all be one…so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (Jn 17:20-21).

On Pentecost, God sent His breath to create supernatural unity. It was experienced immediately among the first converts, and it is a constant manifestation of God’s breath in His Church, 2000 years later. The life of Jesus in us, the Holy Spirit, holds us in His one Body. Unity at last—alleluia!

Possible response: Lord Jesus, forgive me when I rebel against unity—wanting my own way, isolating myself. Let Your Spirit lead me to the unity for which my heart longs.

Pentecost: the Difference that the Spirit Makes

Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

As a teen, I thought the clergy were supposed to do everything. We laity were just called to pray, pay, and obey. Oh yes, and keep the commandments, of course. The original 10 seemed overwhelming enough. Then I discovered the Sermon on the Mount and nearly passed out.

Perhaps this is why many inactive Catholics are so resentful of their upbringing in the Church. For them, religion means frustration, failure, and guilt.

Somehow they, and I, missed the good news about Pentecost. OK, we Catholics celebrate the feast every year and mention it in Confirmation class, but lots of us evidently didn’t “get it.”

Because if we “got it,” we’d be different . . . bold instead of timid, energetic instead of anemic, fascinated instead of bored. Compare the apostles before and after Pentecost and you’ll see the difference the Spirit makes.

The gospel is Good News not just because we’re going to heaven, but because we’ve been empowered to become new people, here and now. Vatican II insisted that each of us is called to the heights of holiness (Lumen Gentium, chapter V). Not by will-power, mind you. But by Holy Spirit power. Holiness consists in faith, hope, and especially divine love. These are “virtues,” literally “powers,” given by the Spirit. To top it off, the Spirit gives us seven further gifts which perfect faith, hope, and love, making it possible for us to live a supernatural, charismatic life. Some think this is only for the chosen few, “the mystics.” Thomas Aquinas taught to the contrary that the gifts of Isaiah 11:1-3 (wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord) are standard equipment given in baptism, that all are called to be “mystics.”

Vatican II also taught that every Christian has a vocation to serve. We need power for this too. And so the Spirit distributes other gifts, called “charisms.” These, teaches St. Thomas, are not so much for our own sanctification as for service to others. There is no exhaustive list of charisms, though St. Paul mentions a few (I Corinthians 12:7-10, Romans 12:6-8) ranging from tongues to Christian marriage (1 Corinthians7: 7). Charisms are not doled out by the pastors; but are given directly by the Spirit through baptism and confirmation, even sometimes outside of the sacraments (Acts 10:44-48).

Do I sound Pentecostal? That’s because I belong to the largest Pentecostal Church in the world. Correcting the mistaken notion that the charisms were just for the apostolic church, Vatican II had this to say: “Allotting His gifts ‘to everyone according as he will’ (1 Cor. 12:11), He [the Holy Spirit] distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. . . . These charismatic gifts, whether they be the most outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation, for they are exceedingly suitable and useful for the needs of the Church” (LG12).

Powerful gifts, freely given to all. Sounds like a recipe for chaos. But the Lord also imparted to the apostles and their successors a unifying charism of headship. The role of the ordained is not to do everything themselves. Rather, they are to discern, shepherd, and coordinate the charisms of the laity so that they mature and work together for the greater glory of God (LG 30).

So what if you, like me, did not quite “get it” when you were confirmed? I’ve got good news for you. You actually did get the Spirit and his gifts. Have you ever received a new credit card with a sticker saying “Must call to activate before using?” The Spirit and his gifts are the same way. You have to call in and activate them. Do it today and every day, and especially every time you attend Mass. Because every sacramental celebration is a New Pentecost where the Spirit and his gifts are poured out anew (CCC 739, 1106).

That’s why the Christian Life is an adventure. There will always be new surprises of the Spirit!

***

Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka “Dr. Italy”) writes from Texas. For info on his resources or his Holy Land pilgrimages, connect with him via dritaly.com or on social media @dr.italy.

This is offered as a reflection upon the Scripture readings for the feast of Pentecost cycles A, B&C (Acts 2:1-11; Psa;, 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-14 and John 20:19-23). It is reproduced here with the permission of the author.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 3

<< Sunday, May 20, 2018 >>

Pentecost

Acts 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 or
Galatians 5:16-25
View Readings

Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34
John 20:19-23 or
John 15:26-27; 16:12-15
Similar Reflections

"ONE SPIRIT" (EPH 4:4)

"Receive the Holy Spirit." �John 20:22

Happy Pentecost! Happy birthday of the Church! Come, Holy Spirit! On this "last and greatest day of the festival," Jesus continues to cry out: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me; let him drink who believes in Me. Scripture has it: 'From within Him rivers of living water shall flow.' (Here He was referring to the Spirit)" (Jn 7:37-39).

The Holy Spirit will come to us and through us renew the face of the earth (Ps 104:30). The Spirit will make us witnesses for the risen Christ (see Acts 2:32). He will give us the words to say (Mt 10:19-20), and people of all nations will believe that Jesus is Lord (see 1 Cor 12:3). Through faith, they will accept the Lord's gift of salvation, and the world will be renewed.

The renewal of the earth, the acceptance of salvation, and our witnessing for Jesus depend to a large extent on Christians being united. Jesus is praying even now that we would be one as He and the Father are one so that the world will believe the Father sent Him (Jn 17:21). Our unity is the basis for faith, which is the basis for salvation (Eph 2:8), which is the basis for renewal. The Spirit will never renew the world unless He unites us.

Therefore, "it was in one Spirit that all of us...were baptized into one body" (1 Cor 12:13). "Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin" (Eph 4:3). May peoples of all nations, denominations, and divisions repent, forgive and understand each other, and be one in the Spirit. Then all will be saved (1 Tm 2:4), and the world renewed. Come, Holy Spirit of unity!

Prayer: Father, in Jesus' name, stir into flame the gift of the Spirit (2 Tm 1:6-7). Renew my Baptism and Confirmation.

Promise: "All were filled with the Holy Spirit." �Acts 2:4

Praise: Praise Jesus, Who died, rose, and ascended so that we could be filled with the Holy Spirit! Alleluia!

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