{"id":2885,"date":"2019-06-09T13:52:47","date_gmt":"2019-06-09T17:52:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2885"},"modified":"2019-06-09T13:52:58","modified_gmt":"2019-06-09T17:52:58","slug":"pentecost-sunday-homily-year-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/pentecost-sunday-homily-year-c\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentecost Sunday, Homily – Year C"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pentecost, Year C<\/a>
Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31-34 (30)
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
John 20:19-23
June 9, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifty days ago we celebrated Easter\nmorning with the news that Jesus\u2019 tomb had been found empty.  That began our Easter season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today our Easter season draws to a close\nwith our celebration of Pentecost. \n\u201cPentecost\u201d means fifty days.  For\nthe Jews, Pentecost was a commemoration of God giving the Torah to Moses on\nMount Sinai.  They were guided by the\nTorah.  For us, Pentecost is the giving\nof the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that we count on to guide us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Holy Spirit arrived as \u201ca strong driving wind<\/em>\u201d symbolizing the\npower of God and how God breathes life into us. \nThe Holy Spirit was visible as \u201ctongues\nof fire<\/em>\u201d descending on the disciples as \u201cthey were all filled with the Holy Spirit.<\/em>\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were giving \u201cdifferent kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit<\/em>.\u201d  They were called to \u201cdifferent forms of service<\/em>\u201d but to the \u201csame Lord.<\/em>\u201d.  \u201cThe Spirit enabled them<\/em>\u201d to fulfill the\nmission to proclaim the gospel to every nation. \nTo make this possible, each person in the crowd was able to hear the\ndisciples speak in their own language. \nThe Spirit brought them together, many parts but one body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God gives each of us some \u201cmanifestation of the Spirit<\/em>\u201d but not\nsimply for our own individual good but so that we might work together as one\nbody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of the words we say in the Creed, \u201cI\nbelieve in one<\/em><\/strong>, holy<\/em><\/strong>, catholic<\/em><\/strong>, and apostolic<\/em><\/strong>\nchurch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are we all of these things?  Are we one, are we one as we heard Jesus pray last week that we be one?<\/a>  Are we holy?  Are we \u201ccatholic,\u201d meaning universal?  Are we \u201capostolic\u201d in holding to our roots in Jesus that come to us through the Apostles?  We ask God to help us be better at these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of being \u201cone\u201d what do you think\nof when you hear the word \u201cchurch\u201d?  Is\nit this building?  Is it the people\naround you at this Mass?  How about the\nother Masses?  How about the other\nCatholic churches in Wayne County?  The\ndiocese?  The world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think we tend to focus on the church\nbuilding and community where we attend because that is our primary experience\nof church in a physical sense.  As we\nbecome a cluster with St. Joseph the Worker and the Catholic Community of the\nBlessed Trinity, we are invited to rethink that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are part of something bigger than just\nwhat we have here.  We get used to what\nis familiar.  Most people come to the\nsame Mass week after week, sometimes because of need for their schedule, but\noften simply because that is what we are used to doing.  When we cluster and no longer have a 4:30\nMass things will certainly be different for those who regularly came to that\nMass.  As they shift to other Masses, it\nwill also be different for those not used to seeing them at the 8:15 or 10:30\nMass. It\u2019s okay.  We are all Catholic,\nwhether we attend the 4:30, 8:15, or the 10:30 Mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We like what is familiar, at least I know\nI do.  However, I have seen a lot of\ndifferent churches.  Nineteen years ago,\nI quit my job with the state to enter seminary. \nWhile in seminary I was formally involved in ministry in six different\nchurches.  Since I was ordained twelve\nyears ago, this is the fourth different parish I have served in.  So, I have been in a lot of different\nparishes but they have all been part of the \u201cone, holy, catholic and apostolic\nchurch.\u201d  God is present in all of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I say this to invite you to think about\nour identity as Catholics and to ask what God is calling us to be as we become\npart of a cluster.  We are not to turn\neverything upside down.  We are called to\nbe \u201capostolic\u201d holding on to what we have always believed as the Truth that\ncomes from God.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is how do we live that\nout.  To do this, we call out in the\nresponsorial psalm, \u201cLord, send out your\nSpirit, and renew the face of the earth<\/em>.\u201d \nIt says \u201crenew\u201d.  It does not say\nforget the past.  I think \u201crenew\u201d is\nabout becoming what Christ has always called us to be.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being renewed isn\u2019t just something we need\nto do because of the clustering.  Our\nnumbers have been shrinking for a long time. \nWe ask God to renew us, to bring us new life, and to reveal the same\ngospel that the Church has always proclaimed to new people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We might \u201cfear\u201d what is to come.  Fear is nothing new.   Remember how after Jesus\u2019 tomb was found\nempty, the disciples were in locked in a room \u201cfor fear of the Jews<\/em>.\u201d  The\nHoly Spirit brings us the gift of courage\/fortitude.  We need this gift as face changes.  We also need the gifts of the Holy Spirit of\nunderstanding and wisdom, as well as right judgment to lend us through the\nchanges.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we trust in the Holy Spirit to lead\nus, we receive \u201cpeace,\u201d peace as a fruit of the Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we prepare for the changes that come\nlater this month, I pray that everyone in the cluster receive what you need as\nindividuals and as a community of believers to be who God calls you to be and I\nask to you to pray for me as I move to a new parish and face change in my life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pentecost, Year CActs 2:1-11Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31-34 (30)1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13John 20:19-23 June 9, 2019 Fifty days ago we celebrated Easter morning with the news that Jesus\u2019 tomb had been found empty.  That began our Easter season. Today our Easter season draws to a close with our celebration of Pentecost.  \u201cPentecost\u201d means fifty days.  …<\/p>\n

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