May 31, 2009 Pentecost Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor. 12:3-7, 12-13; Jn. 20:19-23 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings: http://www.usccb.org/nab/053109b.shtml                ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________          “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.”         These previously terrified people were all filled with the dynamic power of God - the power that refreshes and recreates, that comforts and heals. This Spirit burned within them like tongues of fire, and they went forth and proclaimed the message of God’s love manifested in the resurrection of Jesus.   This same Spirit was given to us when we were baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus and confirmed in the power of the Spirit. If we received the same Spirit as did the disciples on that first Pentecost, why can’t we do the same marvellous deeds? But we can. We are assured that “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” In situations where hatred and violence prevail, kindness and gentleness are actually heroic; generosity is countercultural wherever greed and selfishness reign. And how much harm might be avoided if we had a bit more patience?   The Spirit that Jesus sent us from his Father is a Spirit of reconciliation, the Spirit that prevents us from holding grudges or nurturing vengeance. It is the Spirit of truth, the Spirit that directs us into lives of honesty and integrity. The world in which we live is in far greater need of reconciliation and truth than of the gift of tongues. The Holy Spirit, the dynamic power of God, is bestowed on us in all fullness. And with the Spirit come the gifts that can transform the world. The first disciples had their day, and they seized it with a gusto that has been remembered down through the centuries. This is our day. We now have a chance to show others what’s gotten into us.   The Holy Spirit, the breath of God, is at work, here and now. Through Scripture and prayers, through music and proclamation, through experience and relationships, God's holy breath challenges us, comforts us, scares us, clarifies things for us. The story of Pentecost tells us if we are open to breathing it in, if we dare to pray "Come Holy Spirit," we will find our own lungs filled to the gills with a courage, a reserve of strength, a passion of faith we did not even know we had. As people of Pentecost, God invites us to experience the fullness of life which God intends with God's holy breath. We are invited to breathe deeply and consciously in every moment of our lives.     <<   Previous: Seventh Sunday of Easter  | Next: Holy Trinity >>     Go Back to SERMONS (Year B)