This Sunday’s great and joyful feast is the culmination of the tremendous mysteries that we have been commemorating since Holy Week - the Passion, the Death, the Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus. On Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the sending of the Spirit of the Father and the Son on His disciples.
Jesus' disciples are cowering in fear behind locked doors. Suddenly, there is Jesus among them. He gives them the usual Jewish greeting 'Shalom' but here it is filled with meaning. "Peace with you" can be taken as a wish ('Peace be with you'), or more truly, “Peace is with you.” It is no wonder that the disciples, who just now were terrified, are filled with joy. There are two qualities that always accompany the presence of Jesus in our lives - peace and joy. In the presence of Jesus we experience a kind of peace and joy which only He can give.
In today’s gospel, Jesus gives His Spirit to His disciples and the mission which follows from that: “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you." The baton is being passed. They have a job to do and it is exactly what Jesus himself came to do - to establish the Kingdom on earth.
Jesus now breathes on them. The breathing recalls God breathing life into the dust and bringing the first human being into existence. Here too there is a kind of creation, as the disciples are re-created into 'new persons' filled with the Spirit of Jesus and mandated to continue His work.
(As a reader of the Word of God, I, too, was fearful at the start. I was filled with apprehension, ranging from the silly to the reasonable: Would I lose my voice or forget what to do when I am finally on the lectern? Could I sustain my own interest? Would I be good enough for the task? Was I worthy? But perhaps the Spirit brought into play people and circumstances to “convince” me to respond as I ought to. And like the disciples, I, too, am glad and at peace now with my choice, confident and secure in knowing that the Spirit will be there helping me accomplish whatever task He has called me to do. And with that, I am given a new life.)
The disciples’ job is to continue Jesus’ work of bringing God's salvation to all mankind, to be agents of reconciliation - reconciliation of people everywhere with their God and reconciliation with each other as brothers and sisters, children of one common Father. Reconciliation means the healing of wounds, of all forms of division. This is the work of the Kingdom. And it is also what all of us, as God’s people, are called to do. In order to carry on the task that He had accomplished, Jesus empowered the Church with His Holy Spirit who would be the living force and guidance in propagating God's message. Together with this, and like the disciples, we are given a power to communicate.
What are the effects of the Spirit in our lives? When we have the Spirit, we can call Jesus "Lord," and to call Him "Lord" is not just uttering a pious phrase; it implies a real faith in who Jesus is and the proof of that will be in the way we live our lives. It is not enough to “just believe” but one must be willing to speak out and stand up.
(Readers of the Word are agents of reconciliation in their own right. We are likewise given the power to “communicate,” that is, not merely to read and proclaim the Word from the Book, but more importantly, to communicate God’s message by the way we live. We radiate the Spirit and invite others to share it by our speech and example.)
Second, the Spirit is the source of the special gifts (or 'charisms') that each member of the community receives. This Spirit has been given to us, individually in Confirmation but more powerfully, as Church together. The Source is one - the Spirit of God, which is what unites together all those who receive them into one community.
We are all gifted, but there is a huge variety of gifts. It is important to note that the gifts are not given as a personal grace for oneself, but are to be shared. These gifts are for the communion of the Church and for the common good. They are special abilities by which each one serves the needs of the community. We all have to work together, using our gifts, to build up the community to which we belong. As one body, the Body of Christ, we each make our distinct contribution to the life and work of the community.
(As readers of the Word, we have our unique gift. But we must constantly be on guard not to think highly of ourselves or be victims of self-acclaim, believing that we are “special” and “great” to be given this privilege. Indeed, we are special and great in the eyes of God, but in the sense that even in our smallness and insignificance, we are given this opportunity to give back something to God and the community. And that thought ought to humble even the greatest among us.)
Pentecost, like the other great mysteries, is not merely a historical incident but a reality - the extraordinary intervention of God into our lives. And today's feast indicates that it is an ongoing reality, which still touches our lives every single day.
Cecille S. Tello
22 May 2007
Jesus' disciples are cowering in fear behind locked doors. Suddenly, there is Jesus among them. He gives them the usual Jewish greeting 'Shalom' but here it is filled with meaning. "Peace with you" can be taken as a wish ('Peace be with you'), or more truly, “Peace is with you.” It is no wonder that the disciples, who just now were terrified, are filled with joy. There are two qualities that always accompany the presence of Jesus in our lives - peace and joy. In the presence of Jesus we experience a kind of peace and joy which only He can give.
In today’s gospel, Jesus gives His Spirit to His disciples and the mission which follows from that: “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you." The baton is being passed. They have a job to do and it is exactly what Jesus himself came to do - to establish the Kingdom on earth.
Jesus now breathes on them. The breathing recalls God breathing life into the dust and bringing the first human being into existence. Here too there is a kind of creation, as the disciples are re-created into 'new persons' filled with the Spirit of Jesus and mandated to continue His work.
(As a reader of the Word of God, I, too, was fearful at the start. I was filled with apprehension, ranging from the silly to the reasonable: Would I lose my voice or forget what to do when I am finally on the lectern? Could I sustain my own interest? Would I be good enough for the task? Was I worthy? But perhaps the Spirit brought into play people and circumstances to “convince” me to respond as I ought to. And like the disciples, I, too, am glad and at peace now with my choice, confident and secure in knowing that the Spirit will be there helping me accomplish whatever task He has called me to do. And with that, I am given a new life.)
The disciples’ job is to continue Jesus’ work of bringing God's salvation to all mankind, to be agents of reconciliation - reconciliation of people everywhere with their God and reconciliation with each other as brothers and sisters, children of one common Father. Reconciliation means the healing of wounds, of all forms of division. This is the work of the Kingdom. And it is also what all of us, as God’s people, are called to do. In order to carry on the task that He had accomplished, Jesus empowered the Church with His Holy Spirit who would be the living force and guidance in propagating God's message. Together with this, and like the disciples, we are given a power to communicate.
What are the effects of the Spirit in our lives? When we have the Spirit, we can call Jesus "Lord," and to call Him "Lord" is not just uttering a pious phrase; it implies a real faith in who Jesus is and the proof of that will be in the way we live our lives. It is not enough to “just believe” but one must be willing to speak out and stand up.
(Readers of the Word are agents of reconciliation in their own right. We are likewise given the power to “communicate,” that is, not merely to read and proclaim the Word from the Book, but more importantly, to communicate God’s message by the way we live. We radiate the Spirit and invite others to share it by our speech and example.)
Second, the Spirit is the source of the special gifts (or 'charisms') that each member of the community receives. This Spirit has been given to us, individually in Confirmation but more powerfully, as Church together. The Source is one - the Spirit of God, which is what unites together all those who receive them into one community.
We are all gifted, but there is a huge variety of gifts. It is important to note that the gifts are not given as a personal grace for oneself, but are to be shared. These gifts are for the communion of the Church and for the common good. They are special abilities by which each one serves the needs of the community. We all have to work together, using our gifts, to build up the community to which we belong. As one body, the Body of Christ, we each make our distinct contribution to the life and work of the community.
(As readers of the Word, we have our unique gift. But we must constantly be on guard not to think highly of ourselves or be victims of self-acclaim, believing that we are “special” and “great” to be given this privilege. Indeed, we are special and great in the eyes of God, but in the sense that even in our smallness and insignificance, we are given this opportunity to give back something to God and the community. And that thought ought to humble even the greatest among us.)
Pentecost, like the other great mysteries, is not merely a historical incident but a reality - the extraordinary intervention of God into our lives. And today's feast indicates that it is an ongoing reality, which still touches our lives every single day.
Cecille S. Tello
22 May 2007
1 comment:
congrats
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