SCRIPTURE FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Feast of Pentecost Today we complete the Easter season as we celebrate
Pentecost Sunday. ‘Pentecost’ is a word that means ‘fiftieth.’ This special feast is also called
the birthday of the Church, when we celebrate and remember the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. Today’s
world, filled with tension and one crisis after another, needs Jesus’ message of peace and forgiveness. Through
the Holy Spirit we, the members of the Church, are sent out to share that message with others. FIRST
READING: ACTS 2:1-11
All of a sudden, people who were once afraid and who behind closed
doors, were now full of courage. The disciples of Jesus, without fear, stood among a large crowd and spoke out about
Christ, proclaiming His message. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Seven weeks after
Passover, the Jewish calendar celebrated a Feast of Thanksgiving to God for the harvest of a good crop. All Jewish men
were expected to come to the temple in Jerusalem. Many Jews also came from the outer regions, and the city was full-to-overflowing.
It was on this day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles.
Luke, the author of Acts,
tells us that “a noise like a strong, driving wind filled the entire house (v.2)” and tongues of fire rested upon
everyone present. These external manifestations that accompanied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are commonly associated
with an experience of God. For example, thunder accompanied God at Sinai; God spoke to Job from within a whirlwind;
and Moses heard God speaking to him from a burning bush. On this Pentecost, those in the room heard and experienced
this theophany and began to speak in other languages. Those who were present understood all that was being proclaimed
by the disciples. All these events point out the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
The descent of the Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples that day changed the course of human events. Those who accepted
and believed all that had occurred were able to announce and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. They shared Jesus’
victory over sin and death and his mission of mercy ad forgiveness. This is also our mission: to spread Jesus’
teachings through our acts of love and kindness, and to extend forgiveness to those who have hurt us. It is love that
brings healing to this hurting world; and being open to the Holy Spirit will allow us to do great things, just as those who
preceded us on that first Pentecost. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and enkindle in us the fire
of your love.” SECOND READING: I CORINTHIANS 12:3-7, 12-13
St. Paul tells us that each one of us is special. No one is like us or can replace us. Each of us has been given
a different gift, and we are to use our gifts to build up the church, the body of Christ. St. Paul, in this first part
of his letter to the Corinthians emphasizes that these gifts are not given to an individual for his own honor and glory, but
to help build up the community, which is the Body of Christ. One who acts in and through the Holy Spirit contributes
toward the common good for the benefit of the community, Paul emphasized. To be sure, Paul preaches, there are many
gifts, but they are all manifestations of the one Spirit. “To each is given the manifestations of the Spirit for
the common good (v.7).” We are children of God, brothers and sisters for all eternity. So, in response to
our call to live as one family, let us respect one another’s diversity, culture and status in this life. Let us
not seek power, status and recognition by what we do, but rather let us move forward in faith with mutual understanding, acceptance
and love. GOSPEL: JOHN 20:19-23
In today’s
reading, Jesus comes to the disciples and fills them with peace and joy. “The disciples rejoiced when they saw
the Lord (v. 20).” Then he conferred on them the gift of the Holy Spirit, the first gift of the Resurrections.
What joy must have filled their hearts to see the Lord after witnessing his passion and death. After receiving the Holy
Spirit, they were filled with the fires of his love and set out to proclaim the Good News of salvation to a hurting world
and to extend the forgiveness of sin to repentant souls.
Jesus extends that same peace and joy
to all of us who believe. We are called to be messengers of peace and forgiveness in this all-too-violent world.
All of us who were Confirmed received the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, courage,
holiness and reverence. On this birthday of the Church, let us probe/fathom the depths of our hearts and souls to allow
these gifts to guide us in our everyday lives: to promote unity in the midst of diversity, to uproot the fears that lead to
prejudice, to be loving members of our faith community and to recall constantly that God is always with us, Come, Holy
Spirit, work within us, that we may continue to build up the Body of Christ. -Sunday, June 12,
2011 |
