May 9, 2008
Sunday Scripture readings
‘Lord, send out your Spirit, we say on Pentecost — and beyond
by Father Thomas J. Smith
PENTECOST SUNDAY,
MAY 11
Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104;
1 Corinthians 12: 3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23
The reason there were many Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem as the first reading tells us is because the Jews also were celebrating a feast on that day.
You see, Pentecost means 50th. For the Jews it was the 50th day after Passover and the Jews were celebrating God’s giving the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai to Moses sealing His covenant with them.
For Catholics and Christians, Pentecost is the 50th day after Easter, and through Christ God completed His covenant with His new people, the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church by sending His Holy Spirit, upon the apostles.
We know that the dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. And we also know that the Holy Spirit is the most difficult person of the Holy Trinity to understand. So perhaps we can smile at the answer of the elderly Japanese convert to the faith when he was asked what he thought of the Holy Trinity. He said: "Honorable Father, very nice; honorable Son, very nice; honorable Bird, very difficult."
Because it is difficult to understand the Holy Spirit, we try to get to know Him by what He does for us. The response psalm gives us a first glance: "Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth." This psalm, 104, invites us to reflect on God’s powerful involvement in our world.
According to Michael Goonan in his book, "Praying The Sunday Psalms," without God’s Spirit, there would be no life at all. Yet all around us we see rich and vibrant life — in plants, animals and humans — all testimony to God’s creative, life-giving presence. God’s Spirit not only creates, He also renews. The Spirit of God can bring new life into situations where once there was only death and destruction. He also is the Spirit of order and life. The Hebrew word for spirit is "ruah," which also means breath and wind.
At the creation, God breathed on the waters, bringing order out of chaos. Then God breathed life into man. Jesus breathed on His apostles in giving them the Holy Spirit on the first Easter evening. So the Holy Spirit is the life-breath of man, the life-breath of the Church and the God-life within each of us. Goonan says that the greatest sign and expression of God’s Spirit is love. When we experience love, witness love and give love we know that God is among us to help us overcome evil and create a better world.
He is the Spirit of forgiveness. He reconciles people with God and people with each other. He helps us forgive those who hurt us. He is also the Spirit of unity. At the Tower of Babel, man’s language became confused, and humans could no longer understand one another. The Spirit came in tongues of fire and reversed that confusion of Babel.
Fire also gives light. Thus Jesus filled with the Spirit is the light of the world. The Holy Spirit enables this light of Jesus to shine through us, barring any obstacle of sin or evil. The warmth of the fire reminds us of the warmth of the love in the heart of Jesus for us and the love that must be in our hearts for God and our fellow humans. As the second reading says, the Holy Spirit enables all the baptized and forms us into the living Body of Christ, the Church. He enables us to call Jesus "Lord."
The Spirit is called the Paraclete or Advocate. He stands by us when we are accused of sin or evil for which we have been forgiven or which we did not commit. He is also the Comforter who helps us overcome depression, anxiety, worry and accept the peace of Christ. He is the Spirit of Peace — thus the symbol of the Dove of Peace.
He also gives us gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, reverence and respect for the Lord — gifts which transform our daily actions into what we call the fruits of the Holy Spirit — love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness and purity.
St. Paul urges us to live according to this Spirit. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us everything and help us remember Christ and all He said and did so that in our lives and actions we can bear witness to Christ.
Pentecost is still happening. The Spirit is with us. You might be surprised what we can do with His help. "Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth."
Father Smith is a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis.
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