Pentecost - Wind and Fire

Here in the Pacific Northwest the late fall and early winter months of November and December are dark, wet, and sometimes very windy. Although the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas surely lift one’s spirits, when the wind blows off the Pacific we either take cover or rush to the Ocean to watch the rain and waves crashing on the coast line – an odd but invigorating Oregon tradition. But when the sky clears and the sun shines we give thanks for the power of nature and enjoy the beauty of green on lush trees and hillsides. Though high winds may bring destruction, they also sustain life.

The wind of the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, blows strong and mighty as well. Happy Birthday Church! What a joyful Feast this is, Pentecost, when the Spirit comes by several names: Advocate, Teacher, Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, Spirit of Jesus, and Spirit of God. But my favorite is the “Breath of God.” We illustrate the Spirit as a beautiful white bird, a Dove, the bird of Peace. Yet, this Holy Spirit is anything but passive.

This is the breath of God, when the “mighty wind swept over the waters” at the conception of creation. (Gen 1:1). This is the breath of God which created humankind as when God, “blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being” (Gen. 2: 7). This is the breath of God which blew when an angel named Gabriel announced to a young, pure virgin in Nazareth, “the power of the most high will overshadow you.” (Lk 1: 35). The same breath of God which Jesus bestowed on his Apostles after his resurrection when, “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them . . .’” (Jn 20: 22). This is the breath of God which the Apostles heard as, “A strong driving wind which filled the entire house in which they were” as “tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them . . .” (Acts 2: 2-3). This is the breath that blows through sacraments and makes Christ present among us through water, oil, bread, wine, fire, and the laying on of hands. This is the breath which gives life from the moment sperm and egg unites.

The mighty wind of the Spirit has blown for a very long time – from the first moment of creation, the birth of life as we know it, down to this time and this day. How could we not stand and let God’s breath blow over, under, around, and all the way through us! Blow mighty Spirit; breathe your life upon us!

Today, we mark our identity as a One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church – born through the death and resurrection of Christ and given life in that upper room with strong wind and fire. These four well known marks of the Church are filled with rich history and tradition. So today as we move to Ordinary Time in our Church calendar (anything but same old, same old) we might want to ask ourselves, what it means to be Christian and in particular what it means for us to be a Catholic Church. In this age of PC (politically correct) inclusive language, tolerance, and acceptance of situational morality does our faith still hold the fire it began with? Are you still in love with your Church, with your faith? Are we willing to sacrifice for its good?

As we consider the present stress the Church has been under as our Holy Father and Bishops of the Church are looked at askance by many among us and by those who have the power (media) to form opinions and values, however unfair or distorted, about the Church, we may want to run, hide and take cover as we pray the wind of scandal and irrelevance blow somewhere else. So, are we willing to stand up and be counted or are we more content to just blend quietly into the fabric of every day life – don’t ask, don’t tell.

We cannot run away from or deny our history nor should we since that is our life. The divinely guided direction the Church has taken has proven the breath of God has a mind of its own. The One Church, existing for the common good of all its members across the globe, is undeniably our mark. No matter where you go, you feel at home: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one eucharist. Language and local customs may be different and unfamiliar but the essence around the Lord’s Altar and his Word, welcomes home any who come. Different tongues but the same truth.

The Holy Church for ever remains sacred and perfect by the one we proclaim – Jesus the Christ. United with sinful, flawed members we reach out as an inclusive membership. It is his Church and we are members of it called to live holy lives and open our hearts to receive his breath. In our sacraments, the tools to design holy lives are made available to us as the ministry of Jesus continues: cleansed, anointed, and consecrated by water and spirit, forgiven and healed, bread of life on our pilgrim way, marriage and family, hope for the sick, ordained for ministry and service to the people of God.

The Catholic dimension – from the “rising of the sun to its setting” – a people of God united in constant prayer and worship rising from time zones endlessly, one voice in different tongues. It is a global Catholic world.

This One, Holy, Catholic body of Christ, remains Apostolic as we are united by one Peter and thousands of Apostles who govern not on their own power or birthright but stand on the past as they move the Church forward in union with the Spirit whose breath will not be choked off, despite our human stumble. They serve, they try, they mistake but in the end, they hold the Church together united with the ever more powerful and wise Spirit.

In our prayer, our questions, the cry of the poor, and the joy and sadness of everyday life, Jesus’ presence, his breath, blows among us. So much more to say but here we are – as we mark this moment of our birth united in Christ with a mission to share. And we are sent in his name – consecrated in baptism, ordained for service, married for life, single to give of time and talent, and dedicated for prayer with a charism from holy founders.

What a rich treasure we have been given. What a privilege to humble us and call us to be a holy people.

Pope St. Leo the Great said it well back in the fifth century: "Ever since that day, the clarion call of the gospel has rung out; since the day of Pentecost a rain of charisms, a river of blessings, has watered every desert and dry land, for the Spirit of God has swept over the waters to renew the face of the earth, and a blaze of new light has shone out to dispel our former darkness."