May 23, 2010 PENTECOST Acts 2:1-11; Rom. 8:8-17; Jn. 14:15-16, 23-26 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings:   http://www.usccb.org/nab/052310b.shtml       ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     Prior to his ascension, the risen Jesus tells his disciples that they will “receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,” so that they will become witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This provides an overture to the expanding mission of the church as it moves centrifugally outward from Jerusalem. Pentecost fulfils Jesus’ promise as those gathered are baptized with the Holy Spirit and begin to witness the power of God, when, speaking their own language, they are understood by people representing the geographical boundaries of the known world. This presents a reversal of the confusion of tongues at the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) and anticipates the universal mission.   The dramatic coming of the Spirit does not cease with Pentecost. In Acts, the crucial breakthroughs in the early Christian mission occur through the coming of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes upon the Samaritans at their conversion (8:17-18), and the long narrative of the “Pentecost of the Gentiles” (Acts 10) tells the story of Peter’s “conversion” when he realizes that “the gift of the Spirit had been poured out even on the gentiles.” At the critical council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), the Holy Spirit moves the community to admit gentiles without the requirement of circumcision, which had functioned for a millennium as a sign of God’s covenant and for which Jewish people had suffered martyrdom. The missionary journeys of Paul extend throughout the Mediterranean world under the power of the Spirit.   The Holy Spirit is the empowering and creative gift of God. Not only does the Spirit move the community outward in mission, it forms a church that is inclusive. The Spirit shapes the inner life of the community. Luke offers an epitome of Christian life as groups joyfully gather in prayer, giving attention to the teaching of the Apostles, breaking the bread and sharing their goods and lives so that economic and social distinctions are transcended (Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35). As the community moves forward in mission, persecution does not destroy it but stimulates it to further endeavour; and Christians speak constantly with courage and boldness. The joy with which the Gospel itself opens characterizes the life of the believers.     <<   Previous: 7th Sunday of Easter  | Next: Most Blessed Trinity >>   Go Back to SERMONS (Year C)