(El Greco, c. 1600 - Descent of the Holy Spirit)
Madrid, Spain)
John 20: 19-23
The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052823-Day.cfm
Last month I had the opportunity with parishioner friends, to attend a live theatre production of the Broadway musical, “Come from away.” It’s a great entertainment experience with actors in lively song and dance who relate a true and inspiring positive event from the tragedy of 9/11 in New York City.
When the twin towers were
destroyed, the air space over the U.S. was closed and all planes flying to and
out of the U.S. had to be immediately grounded! To the amazement of citizens in
Gander, New Foundland, 48 of those enormous planes put down on their long
abandoned air strip. In the matter of a
few hours the population of Gander was doubled from nearly 7,000 residents to
an equal number of now stranded travelers from countries as far away as Africa.
The ultimate question from the stranded passengers and strangers as they were
initially trapped in their planes for hours, not knowing what might come next, was
“Now what?”
Yet, within hours, these
stranded strangers experience the impressive hospitality offered by the
citizens of Gander and even more so by the surprising way in which they bonded
with other passengers in solidarity and recognized the power of their common
humanity and the force of good will that overcame their initial fear and
hesitation.
In one scene from the play, titled “the prayer,” two of the actors request a private and quiet place to pray
at the town library. Then another and another one coming from a local Catholic
Church, Rosary in hand. Meanwhile one actor enters and begins to sing the “Prayer
of St. Francis” with the verse, “Make me a channel of your peace . . .” It’s a
beautiful moment in which we see how the grace of God creates unity in the
midst of diversity when people live out the message of peace rather than
violence in contrast to the horrific actions in New York. It is peace and trust not violence and fear
that bind people together in a common unity. And so the same is true of the
Holy Spirit as we mark this day.
In our Gospel on this
beautiful Pentecost Sunday, Jesus appears to his frightened and confused
disciples in their locked room on the day of his resurrection. He says to them: “Peace be with you.” Then
confers on them his breath, the Holy Spirit with the authority to forgive sins
in his name. It is that breath of God, that Holy Spirit, that third person of
the Trinity, who heals, creates life, brings hope and peace, and importantly
creates a unity in the midst of a diverse and formally broken and discouraged
disciples. As God, after creating the first man, Adam in (Gen. 2:7) blew into
his nostrils the breath of life, so the same here in a most dramatic way, that
same Spirit blows upon the Apostles the breath of a new covenant between God
and humanity, established in the death and resurrection of Christ.
The power of wind carried
those passengers to their unintended destination in Gander. On this day, we
witness how the power of wind is heard in the upper room. As God created the
universe, as we hear in the first versus of the book of Genesis, when it was
yet formless and in chaos, the spirit, the wind, blew over the waters to bring
life and order.
When Moses went up Mt.
Sinai, the book of Exodus relates, to receive the commandments of the Lord,
fire was seen and wind was blowing. So these signs of the Spirit continue the
express not only a divine presence but also a transformation and a new
beginning. The Church was born in fire
and the waters of baptism, in the blood and water from the side of Christ on
the cross, and this explosion of divine energy upon the Apostles, transforming
them to become the bold and convicted first missionaries of the Good News,
Jesus had brought.
The multiple “tongues of
fire,” that strange event, signify the reversal of the pride of Babel. When
human arrogance thought they could reach God and by human power establish a
unity, here we see that God has brought around the unity we as his created ones
so failed at doing by our own power.
Did the Apostles themselves
actually speak different ancient languages or did the thousands gathered from
around the ancient world in Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Pentecost,
wonderfully hear the message in their varied native tongues? The second
phenomenon is more likely but nonetheless the Gospel was proclaimed now to all
the world through the Spirit’s intervention. That common message brought by our
Lord is meant for all humanity. Though
we may find language a barrier to communication at times, the faith has brought
us together as one in Christ.
In the beautiful second
reading from Corinthians this Pentecost Sunday, among other varied choices, we
hear: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there
are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings
but the same God who produces all of them in everyone . . .”
Today it is undeniable how broken and divided we have become. The dark spirit is at work, rejoicing in the division, hatred, animosity, and lack of trust that is rampant these days. The dignity of the human person has been corrupted and distorted in forms and presented as the "norm" rather than the exception. We are not united by divided and trust in leadership has been so damaged in some areas, how can it be restored?
By divine grace and a return to God we need a Pentecost experience. As we live out the mission Christ has entrusted to us we can bring that renewal to the world around us. What happened at Gander as strangers united in a common bond so the world can benefit from the power of Grace in the unity we create within the church. We need to catch the wind of the Spirit in our own hearts to be witnesses of Christ more and more, no matter the cost. We sow seeds of peace and reconciliation and not stand at the corners of a "cancel culture." Woke ideology is a lie and we need to step back and choose to not participate in such a dangerous and God-less way of life.
So, let us be people of the Spirit and to live by the Spirit given to us at baptism and confirmation and who is always present in our prayer.
In the Eucharistic gathering
each week we see the work of the Spirit in its visible form. With Christ
present among us, his breath blows and gathers together a diverse community
where all are welcome, all are called to conversion of life, and all can be fed
by the Lord, our food for the journey.
“Make us all channels of
your Peace, O Holy Spirit.”
O God, who by the mystery of
today's great feast
sanctify your whole Church in
every people and nation,
pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit
across the face of the earth
and, with the divine grace that was at work
when the Gospel was first proclaimed,
till now once more the hearts of believers.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,
for ever and ever.
(Collect of Pentecost)
No comments:
Post a Comment