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| Spirit Window in St. Peter Basilica, Rome |
Today we celebrate a milestone in Church history: Pentecost – the outpouring of the Spirit upon the disciples centuries ago. God lives in us, and we in God. To paraphrase St. Paul: we are living temples of God. And the Spirit will be with us forever. Pentecost concludes the Easter season and begins the mission of the Church: continuing the saving ministry of Jesus Christ until he comes again in great glory and power at the end-time.
The image I like best is “breath of God” or “gush of wind”: something you feel. It's feeling the Spirit of God moving where it wants in order to recreate what it touches. The power of the Spirit within moves us, “seizes” us, so we can be channels of God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, generosity, faithfulness and self-discipline to others.
The word “Pentecost” is from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth.” The Hebrews initially celebrated this festival after harvesting the spring wheat. Then, on the fiftieth day after Passover, they associated it with the covenant God made with their forebears on Mt. Sinai. In the Christian tradition, Pentecost gradually celebrated one aspect of the entire paschal mystery: the death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus and descent of the Spirit.
It’s tremendous: the God of the universe, the triune God, lives within us. We are destined for eternal life with God. That life has already begun in baptism.
We can continue the saving work of Jesus Christ by embodying the gifts of the Spirit: wisdom (to recognize what really matters), intelligence (to discern what's true), courage (to stand up for what's right), compassion (for the needy), good judgment (to do the right thing), and wonder and awe (to worship the great God of this universe).
To see what the Spirit can do, look at the early disciples: transformed from cowards into heroes. The Book of Acts describes how the Spirit -- described in images of wind and fire (symbolizing power and force and energy and vitality) -- emboldened them to preach the Gospel fearlessly in Jerusalem and eventually all over the Mediterranean.
The letter of Paul to the Christian community at Corinth speaks about all the gifts the Spirit bestows upon us. In our own 21st century, Paul’s words are a powerful reminder to seek the common good.
The Gospel according to John describes a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus where he breathes upon the disciples (as God breathed life into us in Genesis) and bestows the Spirit upon them. (Jn 20:19-23)
Let us pray on this feast for the grace to live the results of the Spirit’s presence in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-discipline.
The same Spirit of God who spoke through the prophets, who overshadowed the Virgin Mary, the same Spirit who changed the disciples from cowards to heroes, and who lives within the Church and guides human history despite its twists and turns toward its ultimate fulfillment: that Spirit lives within you and me and can transform us if we will let him
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