The Spirit of enthusiasm
Today is the great feast of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God came down on the apostles. In the drabness and routine of life, even of the Christian life, we need a fresh breath to renew our blood, a strong wind to blow away our fears and to steer our sails in the journey of life, fire to spark us with fresh enthusiasm, light to show us the road to follow. God’s Spirit was there in fire and storm when the apostles were afraid and timid. God’s Spirit is here with us now with his fire and his mighty wind, or perhaps very quietly, to blow new energy into us and to light a new fire in us. Let him come and let him move us. It is our Pentecost.
First Reading: Acts 2:1-11
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
“They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13
Nor would anyone be inclined to say “Jesus is Master!” without the insight of the Holy Spirit.
God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.
You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.)
Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.
Gospel: John 20:19-23
Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.
The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”
Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”
Prayer
God our Father,
let the Holy Spirit surprise us
with his fire and vigor
and let him make us young and new again
as he did for the young Church.
Let him renew our days,
our loves and our lives.
Let him bring us tenderness and joy
as well as openness to one another
and the courage to stand up
for all that is right and just.
Let him unite us and lead us to you.
All this we ask you through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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