Pentecost: The Spirit Fires Us Up

Holy Spirit Window in St. Peter's Basilica

Today we celebrate Pentecost – the outpouring of the Spirit upon the early disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem. The lesson of Pentecost: the triune God lives in us; and we live in that trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To paraphrase St. Paul: we are living temples of God.
An awesome truth!

“Pentecost” is a Greek word meaning “fiftieth” – the fiftieth day after Passover. In the Christian tradition, Pentecost celebrated the descent of the Spirit.

The Book of Acts describes the Jews coming to Jerusalem for the harvest festival. Suddenly the Spirit – described in images of wind and fire (symbolizing power and energy and
vitality) – was poured out upon the disciples and fired them up to preach the Gospel
fearlessly throughout the then known world.

The letter of Paul to the Christian community at Corinth in Greece speaks about all the
gifts the Spirit bestows upon us: all to build up the community. We often overemphasize the
individual at the expense of the community. Paul’s words are a powerful reminder to seek the
common good.

The Gospel according to John describes a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus. The
risen Christ breathes upon the disciples (as God originally breathed life into us in the Book of
Genesis) and in that gesture bestows the Spirit. It’s an awesome truth of our faith: the God of the
universe lives within us. You may ask: what does God’s Spirit do within us?

The Spirit transforms us into new creatures, with a destiny beyond this earthly life: eternal life
with God. That life has already begun in us, in the waters of baptism, and is nurtured in today's word and sacrament.

To see what the Spirit can do, look at the early disciples: initially cowards hiding in a room; and then suddenly transformed into heroes proclaiming that Jesus Christ is gloriously alive.

The image I like best for Pentecost is the “breath of God” or “gush of wind.” It's something you can
feel, “catching” the Spirit. The power and force and energy and vitality of the Spirit is within us. The Spirit inspires us, moves us, so that we can be a channel of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-discipline.

As the Spirit moves where it will, it can inspire whoever sees its effect. So keep alert for
God’s Spirit. Yes, only humans receive the “breath of God” but all living things inspire us if we
are alert for God’s creative spirit.

Pentecost begins the mission of the people of God, your mission and mine, to continue
the saving work of Jesus Christ until he comes again in great glory. We can continue that work
by embodying the gifts of the Spirit: wisdom (to recognize what really matters in life),
intelligence (to discern what's true), courage (to step up for what's right), compassion (for the
needy), good judgment (to do right), and wonder and awe (to worship the great God of this
universe).

Let us pray that the Spirit whose gifts we already possess by virtue of our baptism will empower us to live more fully the results of the Spirit’s presence in us – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, self-discipline.

Distant yet Together

Rembrandt's "Raising of Lazarus"

The “distancing” to avoid the spread of the coronavirus has an unintended good effect: it can bring out the best in people. Relatives are checking in on one another more frequently via social media. Neighbors are looking after neighbors via telephone.  People are seeking prayer opportunities via the internet. Pope Francis, e..g., is providing online greetings and “gatherings” for the faithful and the weary worldwide. Seeing images of the Holy Father in a  virtually empty St. Peter’s Square tugs at our hearts and calls us to a deeper unity.

Sunday's Gospel features Lazarus.  At Oxford University, in the lobby of a chapel, there's a statue of Lazarus bound from head to foot.  The image could symbolize who we are and what we should be about:  asking God to untie us from the many things that undermine our relationship with God and one another.  A powerful prayer whenever we enter a church: untie me, God, from attitudes and behaviors that hinder me from becoming my true self.

The word of God this Sunday first carries us back to the sixth century before Jesus. The Hebrews are despondent; Babylonians conquered them, demolished their temple and deported many of them. But Ezekiel proclaims that God will breathe his spirit into the “bones” of the demoralized Hebrews. And the spirit of God will breathe new life into them. They will become new creatures.

That is our destiny and our challenge: to live as new creatures, called to become like God in our attitudes and behaviors.

Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Rome declares that the spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells within us. That spirit can energize us so that we will manifest the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Paul reminds us to pray that the spirit of God transforms us.

In the Gospel according to John, Jesus cries out, “Lazarus, come out of the tomb!” And out comes Lazarus, bound with burial wrappings. Jesus emphasized the raising of Lazarus as a threshold sign in the unfolding of our own salvation history, a sign of his power to give us eternal life; and a promise to put the imperishable on our perishable selves, to put the immortal on our mortal selves.Also, “Jesus wept.” Probably tears of friendship and solidarity.

Jesus gave Lazarus a “second chance.” I always wondered: did Lazarus ever describe what he experienced? Did the “second chance” change Lazarus? We have been given second chances. Are we doing anything differently with the opportunity?

Nothing will separate us from the love of God, to paraphrase Paul's words to the Romans. The triune God lives within us and we live within the triune God.

The Holy Spirit equips us with his gifts so that we can be our best selves: we possess the gifts of wisdom to focus on what truly matters; understanding and knowledge, to probe more deeply into the mysteries of God; counsel to make good moral decisions; fortitude to stand up for what is right; piety to give God praise and worship; and fear of the Lord: a healthy concern never to lose that relationship with God.

In light of Sunday's gospel, we might “shout out” to Jesus: untie me from the attitudes and behaviors that prevent me from becoming my true self: the likeness of God. In this sign and wonder, I pray that God will empower us to leap out of our own death into new life, eternal life within the triune God and one another. Amen.

Lent: a Time to Draw Nearer to God

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness

Our Lenten journey from ashes to Easter has begun. Last Wednesday we heard, “Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return.” Dust represents human life: transitory and fragile. But the sign of the cross with ashes on our forehead symbolizes that Jesus Christ has redeemed our “dust.” God lives within us and we live within God.

Lent is a forty-day retreat: a time to ask again what are our most important priorities.  Yes, it time to follow Jesus into the wilderness, not only to get our priorities straight in light of our ultimate purpose in life but to replenish ourselves with the gifts of the Spirit (for example, wisdom, intelligence, good judgment, courage). Lent is a time to recall how the Hebrews of old saw the desert: not only as an abode of wild beasts but a place where a person encountered God and where God encountered the person.

In today’s busier-than-ever world, with its many distractions and temptations, we need this retreat more than ever.

So, what are we bringing into the wilderness. Maybe we feel dissatisfied. Things are OK, maybe you're building an impressive resume, but what does it all mean in the end? Maybe you’re facing challenges, have to make tough decisions. Listen to Jesus's response in the wilderness when He confronts the devil: God instead of material things, a God-centered instead of a self-centered life, service instead of power.

In the beginning, the Book of Genesis says, God fashioned a magnificent universe and created man and woman to enjoy it. Enter the snake, setting people against one another and against God. The man and woman wanted divine status, to be self-sufficient. They lost their friendship with God; they fell from grace.

Ever since, although we are intrinsically good, we have a tendency to choose evil. Human beings have cried out for God’s healing power.

And then, God became one of us in Jesus, so we could experience God's friendship anew. Paul observes that, just as we fell from grace through the first Adam, so now through the crucified and risen Christ, we have God's friendship again.

In the Gospel according to Matthew, would Jesus simply satisfy his physical hunger at the expense of his mission in life? No. Would he work signs and wonders simply so people would puff up his ego? No. Would he seek power so that people would kowtow to him? No. Jesus will not make a god out of material goods, celebrity status or political power.

Lent reminds us that it is time to ask God for the grace to get our priorities straight. It's a time for prayer; a time to do without unnecessary things so that the needy can have necessary things; a time to reach out with a helping hand through volunteer service or charitable giving or whatever.
For hundreds of years, Lent has focused on these three disciplines: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Re-discover and re-treat yourself to these age-old disciplines again this Lent.

The Spirit of God within Us

St. Peter's Basilica  Holy Spirit Window

Today we celebrate Pentecost – the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem. The lesson of Pentecost is that the triune God lives in us; and we in God. Yes, as St. Paul taught: we are living temples of God.

There's not much to see visually on Pentecost Sunday. But the description I like best is “breath of God” or “gush of wind.” Not destructive like a hurricane, but life-giving. It's “catching” the Spirit of God. It's feeling the Spirit moving wherever it wants to recreate whatever it touches.

The vitality of the Spirit is within us. It inspires us, moves us, so that we can be a channel of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-discipline.

Pentecost concludes the Easter season and begins the mission of the Church, the people of God, you and me, to continue the saving work of Jesus Christ until he comes again. We can continue that work by embodying the gifts of the Spirit: wisdom (to recognize what truly matters in life), intelligence (to discern what's true), courage (to stand up for what's right), compassion (for the needy), good judgment (to do right), and wonder and awe (to worship the great God of this universe).

“Pentecost” is a Greek word meaning “fiftieth” – the fiftieth day after Passover. The Hebrews initially celebrated after harvesting the spring wheat. Later they associated the festival with the covenant God made with their forebears on Mt. Sinai. Pentecost gradually celebrated one aspect of the entire paschal mystery.

The Book of Acts describes how the Jews had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival. Suddenly the Spirit -- described in images of wind and fire (symbolizing power and energy and vitality) -- was poured out and emboldened the disciples to preach the Gospel fearlessly in Jerusalem and throughout the known world.

The letter of Paul to the Christian community at Corinth in Greece speaks about the gifts the Spirit bestows upon us: all for 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 the Book of Genesis) and in that gesture bestows the Spirit.

It’s an awesome truth of our faith: the God of the universe, the triune God, lives within us. So we are new creatures, with a destiny beyond this earthly life: eternal life with God. That life has already begun. And to see what the Spirit can do, look at the early disciples: transformed from cowards locked in an upper room into heroes proclaiming from the rooftops that Jesus Christ is gloriously alive.

Let us pray that the Spirit will empower us to live the results of the Spirit’s presence. The same Spirit of God who spoke through the prophets, overshadowed the Virgin Mary, enlivened the disciples, and lives within the Church community and guides human history toward its ultimate fulfillment—a new heaven and a new earth—that same Spirit lives and breathes within us and can transform us ever more fully into "living temples of God."

So we pray today,
“Come, Holy Spirit anew into our lives,
and re-energize us so that we can see God more clearly, love God more dearly and follow God more nearly. Amen.”