Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor. 12:3b-7, 12-13; Jn. 20:19-23.
Welcome my brothers and sisters on the Feast of Pentecost. With today’s
feast, we conclude the period of Easter Time.
Originally, Pentecost was a Jewish Feast. The word “Pentecost” means
“fiftieth”. For the Jews the 50th day after their Passover, and for Christians
the 50th day after Easter.
There were three main events in the history of
Israel which the Jews remembered on the feast of Pentecost. The establishment
of the covenant between God and Israel on Mount Sinai; The proclamation of Ten
Commandments; and the completion of the grain harvest. On the Pentecost day we
too celebrate the establishment of a new covenant; the proclamation of the new
law - the command of love; and the pouring down of the fruits of The Holy
Spirit.
During today's First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of
the glorious arrival of the Holy Spirit. “When the day of Pentecost had come,
they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there
came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house
where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and
a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit”
On several occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit, a promise
which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then more strikingly at
Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit the apostles began to proclaim "the
mighty works of God,' and Peter declared this outpouring of the
Spirit to be the sign of the messianic age.
They were blessed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom,
understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. (Gal 5:22-23)
The Jews who listened to the Apostles were aware
of the gifts of the Holy Spirit found in the Book Isaiah (11:1-2). Now they saw them manifested in the Apostles.
They saw great wisdom in the Apostles. No one in
the group dared to question their wisdom. It illuminated their
understanding of Sacred Scriptures. It gave them a profound appreciation for
God’s providence. They recalled the teaching of Jesus and boldly proclaimed it.
That boldness showed by the apostles was not familiar to the crowd. When Jesus
was arrested they ran away. Peter denied Jesus three times during his trial.
When Jesus was crucified they went into hiding. When the risen Lord appeared to
them, some of them refused to believe it. But now with extraordinary fortitude
they stood boldly before the Roman authorities, before the Jewish leaders, and
before the crowd, proclaim Jesus as the Lord.
Naturally, the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit drew many
to the house where the disciples were gathered. And as we heard, those who
came, they witnessed the disciples speaking in all languages to the extent that
no matter what language anyone spoke, they could understand the disciples
preaching about God's deeds of power. Everyone saw something in them beyond
description.
A woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a
stream. The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and the woman
opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveller saw the precious stone
and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The
traveller left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth
enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back
to return the stone to the wise woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I
give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious.
Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me something more
precious.
This is the gift that the Apostles received on the day of Pentecost. The
coming of the Holy Spirit enabled them to give up everything, their
family, their possessions, their self and keep them focused only on Jesus.
Their outlook changed. While with Jesus they thought what they would get from Jesus.
Who would be the first in the Kingdom of Heaven. Who would be privileged sit on
the right and left of Jesus? Once they received the Spirit there was a total
change in their attitude. Their concentration changed to what they could give
to others.
Throughout the centuries the Spirit of God enabled men and women to bear
witness to Jesus. Thousands of men and women embraced martyrdom for the name of
Jesus. Hundreds of monks and nuns dedicated their lives for Jesus and lived in
silence and Prayer. Thousands of saints were guided by the Spirit and dedicated
themselves to the church and the society. Millions of believers were led by the
Spirit to be the light of the world through their good deeds.
Today it is our turn to receive the Spirit, and accept the gifts the Spirit
pours on us. The Spirit will guide us to find what sacrifice I can make to keep
my family happy; what contribution I can give to enrich the community; and what
support I can give to my neighbours in their struggles.
When we allow ourselves to be led by the gifts of the Spirit, the
manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit that drew many to the
Apostles on the day of Pentecost will draw again many more to the Apostolic
Church.
Satish