{"id":2171,"date":"2017-06-04T14:16:23","date_gmt":"2017-06-04T18:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2171"},"modified":"2017-06-04T14:16:23","modified_gmt":"2017-06-04T18:16:23","slug":"pentecost-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/pentecost-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentecost Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pentecost<\/a>
\nActs 2:1-11
\nPsalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
\n1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
\nJohn 20:19-23<\/p>\n

Our Easter Season draws to a close today with our celebration of Pentecost but we should never think of Pentecost as simply an end to Easter.\u00a0 Pentecost is an \u201cevent\u201d in our church.\u00a0 It is often referred to as the \u201cbirth of the church.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why call it the birth of the Church?\u00a0 It is the day that the disciples first received the Holy Spirit that empowered and invigorated them to them to go out and proclaim the good news.<\/p>\n

The first time the Holy Spirit descended upon disciples was marked with vivid imagery.\u00a0 The Holy Spirit arrived as a \u201cstrong driving wind<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 The use of the word \u201cstrong\u201d symbolizes the awesome power of God.\u00a0 The \u201cwind\u201d reminds of how God \u201cbreathed\u201d life into Adam (Genesis 2:7).\u00a0 God gives us life and the Holy Spirit brings us eternal life.<\/p>\n

Continuing with the symbolism, the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples as \u201ctongues of fire<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Fire is used as image of God\u2019s divine presence such as in the story of the burning bush (Exodus chapter 3) and the column of fire that led the Israelites out of Egypt into the desert (Exodus 13:21-22).<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll add here that sometimes that we use the expression \u201cthey\u2019re on fire\u201d as a way of saying a person is filled with excitement and passion.\u00a0 That\u2019s what happens to the disciples when they receive the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 They become \u201con fire\u201d to proclaim the gospel.<\/p>\n

The symbolism of the tongues is also important to us.\u00a0 Language can be a barrier to people coming together.\u00a0 The Holy Spirit transcends that by enabling each person is able to hear the disciples speak in their own language at Pentecost.\u00a0 Our faith is not just for the Israelites or those of white European descent.\u00a0 The gospel is for all whether it be Hispanics and Latinos, Africans, Asian, South Americans, or the whites. God\u2019s love and mercy transcends language, geography, and ethnicity.\u00a0 God\u2019s love and mercy is for each and every person.<\/p>\n

In our psalm response today, we sing, \u201cLord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 The Holy Spirit renewed the disciples with a new and powerful mission.\u00a0 In our baptism we receive the Holy Spirit and we are sealed with it in Confirmation.\u00a0 The Holy Spirit gives us gifts to empower us to proclaim Jesus to the world.<\/p>\n

Now, as Paul writes to the Corinthians, the Holy Spirit gives us \u201cdifferent kinds of spiritual gifts<\/em>\u201d for \u201cdifference forms of services.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Paul speaks of how the body is one<\/em> but has many parts<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In Baptism we become part of the Body of Christ.\u00a0 Through the Holy Spirit we are united as one but we are not all the same and are not all called to do the same function.\u00a0 Our hands do a different role than our feet.\u00a0 Our eyes do a different role than our ears but using them all together we accomplish far more than any one part of the body can do on its own.<\/p>\n

You might remember a couple of weeks ago when I talked about how we have different roles at Mass that people help with.\u00a0 We have altar servers and musicians, readers and Extraordinary Ministries of Holy Communion just to name some.\u00a0 As we go out into the world, we need to work together.<\/p>\n

This can be a challenge for us.\u00a0 We can be afraid of what lies ahead of us.\u00a0 In that fear we turn to the Holy Spirit for the gift of \u201ccourage.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Jesus appeared to the disciples in the locked room, they were afraid and he said to them \u201cPeace be with you<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 When we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit bears fruits in us.\u00a0\u00a0 One of those fruits is peace.\u00a0 Having the Holy Spirit helps us to see what is truly important and to trust in God.\u00a0 This brings us peace.<\/p>\n

This change is the Holy Spirit giving us real life.\u00a0 This change is the Holy Spirit renewing us of us.\u00a0 The renewal comes not just at Baptism or Confirmation.\u00a0 The Holy Spirit can renew us each time we seek God\u2019s forgiveness and gives us the mercy to start anew.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pentecost Acts 2:1-11 Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 Our Easter Season draws to a close today with our celebration of Pentecost but we should never think of Pentecost as simply an end to Easter.\u00a0 Pentecost is an \u201cevent\u201d in our church.\u00a0 It is often referred to as the …<\/p>\n

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