The Solemnity Of Pentecost, Year C, By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior, C.S.Sp

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11/ Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 104 (R. cf. 30) / Second Reading: Romans 8:8-17 / (Sequence: Come Holy Spirit) / Gospel: John 14: 15-16.23b-26

Theme: You Shall Receive Power When the Spirit Comes Upon You (Acts 1:8)

Countless number of people in the world spend their entire lives searching for meaning and fulfilment. Unfortunately, this search leads many to look for fame, recognition and the power to control others. The reason for this unfortunate situation is that, they look for creatures, not the Creator, the product, not the manufacturer! In addition, they are unready and unwilling to do what will bring real power, and so they settle for what is cheap, instant and ephemeral. Hence, they embrace magic, occultism, satanism and idolatry. These are the things which imprison and destroy them. In the final analysis, what seems to give them ‘fulfilment’ leads them further to misery, emptiness, pain and loss of their souls. O, what a mirage! On this Pentecost day, God wants to give us the true and ultimate power, the power qua power, the Holy Spirit! It all begins with a burning desire, a thirst and a hunger for the Holy Spirit, and the readings will whet our appetite for this.

At this juncture, a little historico-Biblical perspective will help our reflection. The Jews celebrate many festivals with relish. Among these feasts, three stood out with great importance. They are the feasts of Passover (Unleavened Bread), Tabernacles and Pentecost (cf. Ex. 23:14-17). Thus, every Jew, especially a youth who has come of age was legally expected to go to Jerusalem at least, three times a year to participate in these celebrations. This explains why at age twelve, Jesus, together with his parents, Mary and Joseph, went up to Jerusalem for the Passover feast (cf. Lk.2:41-42). This background makes one understand the rationale behind the gathering together of Jews from the Diaspora in Jerusalem for Pentecost (cf. Acts 2). It was at this feast the Holy Spirit descended on the believers in a very unique and spectacular manner. Since then, every year, Christians celebrate Pentecost to recall the occasion and to renew themselves spiritually.

So, how did the name Pentecost come about? From its Greek etymology, Pentecost means ‘the Fiftieth’ (Greek: Penta meaning five). This was so called because it fell on the fiftieth day which is a week of weeks (7×7), after the Passover. That is why the festival is also called the Feast of Weeks. Thus, Pentecost is calculated fifty days after Passover (what we call Easter). This feast has both a historical and agricultural significance. The former commemorates the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, while the latter (its agricultural connotation), is an occasion to thank God for the gathering of harvested crops. Consequently, the Jews show their gratitude to God by offering two loaves of barley. We too must appreciate God for the ‘harvest’ of the Holy Spirit!

We must not hesitate to add here that the Holy Spirit did not first come into existence at Pentecost. God is eternally Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Most Holy Trinity. From the very beginning, God said “Let us make man in our image and likeness” (Gen. 1:26). At creation, all the three Persons were present. The Father created through the Son in the Spirit (cf. Gen. 1:2, Jn. 1:1-4, 14). All through human history, the Holy Spirit has been present. The Spirit spoke through the prophets and inspired the biblical authors (cf. Acts 1:16, 28:25). Therefore, the Spirit is eternal. However, something extraordinary happened at Pentecost occasioned by the descent of the Spirit. The disciples of Jesus Christ were empowered as never before to speak, live and witness to the risen Lord. This is what we celebrate in today’s liturgy.

We are told in the first reading that “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). They were of one mind, one heart, one purpose, and one vision. They were united in faith, and this unity was unshakeable. Under the leadership of the Apostles and the maternal patronage of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the early Christians waited in fervent prayer for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. They strongly believed in the promise of Jesus: “Now you shall be witnesses to this… And this is why I will send you what the Father promised. So, remain in the city until you are invested with power from above” (Lk. 24:46- 47, 49b). In fact, the Gospel reading has it that Jesus had indicated: “But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things…” More so, he will “bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (Jn. 14:26). Before now, they lived in utter fear, a trepidation that sapped their joy, peace and literally, their being! With the assurance of the promise of Christ, the believers lived in expectation, a ray of hope lightened them up and life returned to them. Therefore, they yearned for the fulfilment of Christ’s promise, and truly, they were satisfied on Pentecost day! The power from on high came to empower and encourage them!

From these statements, we see the Holy Spirit as both person and power; a divine person to relate with, and power we receive through his gifts. This is the power we must never miss in life! He is a teacher who not only teaches but also inspires and reminds. When we read the Bible, the Spirit speaks to us and turns the information into revelation; gives insights and focuses our minds onto divine mysteries otherwise inaccessible to the human limited capacities. The Spirit is power, for through spiritual gifts, he empowers us to live the divine life and to witness to the risen Christ. The manifestations of power inter alia include miracle, healing, prophecy, faith, administration, teaching, wisdom, discernment, service, speaking and interpretation of tongues (cf. I Cor. 12-14).

The first effect of the presence of the Spirit is that he frees and liberates us from sin, guilt and selfishness. He is the Sanctifier who convicts us of sin and purifies us making us sanctuaries of his presence and temples of God. He also frees us from fear by giving courage to the otherwise fearful disciples. Thus transformed, we become veritable instruments of God for the service of others. This explains why at the descent of the Holy Spirit, the early Christians were enlightened and commissioned to go out to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Therefore, Pentecost sends us out on a very serious mission, namely, to evangelise the whole world through selfless service. To do this, the Spirit empowers us with his gifts called charisms through which we are ennobled to live the divine life and to contribute efficiently to the building up of the Body of Christ, the church. By so doing, we become sacraments of divine grace, of faith, of hope and of charity.

There is another point to note here. As a result of their sojourn in foreign lands, the Diasporean Jews had acquired different languages apart from Hebrew and Aramaic. At the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11), there was confusion of tongues. However, at Pentecost, Jews domiciled in different nations plus converts to Judaism were able to understand deeply in their hearts and declare the mighty works of God. They spoke in tongues such that, although unintelligible in itself, they were able to pierce through the mysteries of God in a very captivating manner as never before! The believers who had gathered in love and prayer experienced the Holy Spirit. They spoke in different tongues, yet they understood what each was speaking in their own tongue because love is the language everybody understands. The Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son, the Love Subsistent who reveals God to us and makes us feel his presence. Love is the law, the new commandment – love of God and neighbour. Wherever people live in love, the Spirit of God is present and actively at work! Love must be our motivation and debt, and love will show the way!

Furthermore, the Spirit is the principle of unity and harmony. People of different tongues were united speaking the language of love, the language of the Spirit. It is the Spirit, the source of life who can bring perfect unity by breaking barriers of division, race, colour, exclusion, injustice and marginalisation. Sometimes unity eludes us because we are not ready to forgive. However, the Spirit can melt the frozen and warm the chilled heart in order to release forgiveness. Even when we find it difficult to pray, the Spirit comes to help us by guiding us to pray according to the will of God. (cf. Rom. 8:26). All we need to do is to surrender sincerely and be docile to the Spirit!

We must be quick to notice the symbol of fire; a fire in a burning bush that leaves its herbage still green and full of life (cf. Ex. 3:2-3); a fire of love, which pours forth and burns like fire within us for righteousness, selflessness, togetherness, genuineness of character, sense of fraternity, desire for obedience, zeal for souls, boldness to preach and passion for evangelisation. This was how Christianity was born; it was at the instance of the Spirit, who makes the Father and the Son present to us, and also comes to renew all things in Christ, giving the nascent Church new life. Thus, the Responsorial Psalm sings: “Lord, send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth” (Ps. 104:30). No wonder the Christian Creed calls the Holy Spirit Giver of Life. Even now, renewal at both individual and community levels is at the instance of the Holy Spirit, and we must do well to welcome the Spirit into our lives, endeavours, situations, challenges, problems and our world.

In view of the aforementioned, in the second reading, St. Paul addresses his letter to the Romans and to us, to be aware of the signs which indicate whether we are living in the Spirit or in our sinful nature (flesh). He says that “those who live according to the flesh cannot please God.” but “those who walk in the Spirit of God are children of God” (Rom. 8:8, 14). Paul could not be more emphatic when he says: “…If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live” (Rom. 8:13). Beloved, we cannot avoid or ignore the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Spirit makes us obey the commandments of God, and it is obedience which shows our love for God. We really need the Holy Spirit. With him, love is enkindled, our faith is stirred, hope reinforced, wills disciplined, minds guided, hearts purified, paths directed, desires refined, lives transformed, future guaranteed and our salvation assured.

Let us pray: Come O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful! And enkindle in them the fire of your Love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, instructed the hearts of the faithful, grant that, by the same Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Remember #You-Shall-Receive-Power-When-The-Spirit-Comes-Upon-You#

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