But how?
The multiple readings for the Feast of Pentecost (for both
Vigil and Sunday Masses) take us on a journey from the human debacle of
arrogance at the Tower of Babel in Genesis to the purification operated by the
Holy Spirit when the time for Pentecost
was fulfilled, as recounted in Acts.
Pentecost reverses the confusion of Babel, restoring mutual
comprehension to the disciples and their listeners as those who are filled with the Holy Spirit speak in different tongues and are
understood by people from all over the known world as they proclaim the good
news. Their journey is our journey on a
grand scale.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus repeatedly prepares the disciples
for this moment. In John 7, Jesus likens
the Holy Spirit to rivers of living water
that will flow from within him who
believes in the Christ, a force that will draw them more deeply into love,
to Jesus. Later, when, on Easter Sunday,
Jesus breathes upon the disciples and intones, Receive the Holy Spirit, he is revealing the Advocate who is to be with
them always, giving them peace as the Spirit is intended to give us Jesus’ peace as well.
Yet Paul’s letter to the Romans reminds us that, while it is
true that in order to enter into the fullness
of life in Jesus, we were baptized, that union is not yet perfect: we
groan within ourselves, as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Hope fills us as love speaks from the depth
of our being, with the Spirit drawing us further along toward the perfect union
that we long for. It is the Spirit that allows us to focus on
God rather than wallowing in the self-centeredness Paul calls the flesh.
For when we focus on other rather than on ourselves, we are focusing on
God who dwells within. Only in this way
are we able to manifest that self-sacrificing love in our earthly body, for the
Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies, so that we might, as the
first letter to the Corinthians states, use our gifts as the Spirit intended, that is, for the benefit of others. But
first, we have to enter into that love that is the call of us all, receive the Spirit, and, like the
disciples, proclaim it to the world, blessing the Lord with all our soul, that our love for God may bring God joy and gladness. Only then can we fulfill
the prayer of Psalm 104, giving over both voice and body to the Spirit that can renew of the face of the earth.
Love is our gift, love is our call; love is our mission – may we help it
to spread to the ends of the earth!
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Image source: Wordle
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