Columban Reflection, Feast of Pentecost / Cycle A

We celebrate the feast of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter. 

Feast of the Holy Spirit
and the "beginning" of the mission of the Church.

Acts 2:1-11: all were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
Psalm 103: Send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth
1 Cor 12:3 b- 7.12 -13:
We have been baptized in one Spirit into one body 
Jn 20:19-23: Receive the Holy Spirit

In his book of Acts, Luke tries to explain why the disciples, like Jesus Christ, have the power to do the wonders they do. Luke uses the "feast of weeks" of ancient Israel that celebrates the commemoration of the arrival of the people to Mount Sinai where Yahweh gave the tables of the Law to Moses in the middle of thunder and lightning. Both, the symbolic elements of Sinai and of Pentecost are symbols of cosmic resonance that manifest God's intervention.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul highlights the work of the Spirit in the lives of believers and in the construction of the ecclesial community. The Spirit links the mission of the Church to the mission of Jesus. Paul knows of the divisions within this community, that is why he insists that gifts, charisms, ministries and services come from the same Spirit.

He says that all the charisms, gifts and ministries are given for the growth of the Church. The action of the Spirit makes the mission of the Church a Mission for the world and not just for individual sanctification.

John presents two contrasting scenes. 1) The disciples at dusk, locked in a house full of fear. 2) Jesus entering, communicates to them peace and shows his wounds as a sign of his real presence. This fills them with joy and gives them the Spirit who makes them ready for Mission. Jesus transforms his fear, darkness, isolation and confinement into: peace, joy and a missionary spirit. The mysterious and transforming action of the Spirit within the believer and in the community makes the resurrection, ascension, eruption of the Spirit and ecclesial mission are a closely and articulated action. They are not isolated but simultaneous, progressive and facilitating moments within the community of believers.

Jesus promised his disciples that he will soon return, that He will never leave them alone; and he fulfills it! He said that the Holy Spirit of God will assist them to make them understand everything he told them; and that happens! By blowing on them as God breathed to create the human being, Jesus tells them that the Spirit creates and makes everything new. They are the new people of the creation restored by the loving self-giving of Jesus.

- With the advent of the Holy Spirit in human history begins a new way to experience God´s presence.

- Pentecost is the beginning of the final stage in the history of salvation.

- it is the starting point of the preaching of the gospel by the Apostolic Church.

- The Spirit pushes the Church beyond geographical, social and cultural boundaries, everyone understands the message in their own language. All countries known until then indicate that the Gospel message is universal.

- The Spirit comes in community, when the disciples are gathered, and his announcement opened a new community.

Sometimes, violence, injustice, poverty and corruption of society fill us with despair, fear and discouragement. We see no outputs and we lock ourselves in our individual issues and forget the big issue that is Jesus. Then, suddenly, he breaks into our interior, pierces the doors of our heart and enlightens our understanding, helping us to realize that He has not abandoned us, He is still present in the believer's life, in the community and in the world.

We recognize Him and His Spirit acting in many people and organizations who fight against all forms of sin that dehumanize and alienate us. The Spirit of God keeps acting in our history even when we do not perceive it , He does it silently and often we do not feel Him because He acts in a simple way through gestures that may go unnoticed. The daily rush and worries prevent us from hearing  and recognizing Him. We must make space for a deeper prayer time, trying to hear the motions that the Spirit inspires in me, in my community and the world, in the commitment of love, in the care for the poor.

PRAYER

Beautiful God, elusive Spirit, Light of all lights, love ever present in all love,

Life and Force who blows on all creation:

empty Yourself out, again, today,
on all creation and all peoples,

so that in beyond the different names
that we use to invoke You,

we may find you, and we could meet each other
in You, united in our love
for all that exists.  

You who live and make live, everything,
for ever and ever.