Word to the Wise
Sunday, May 19, 2024 - Pentecost Sunday - B
[Acts 2:1-11; opt: Gal 5:16-25; opt: John 15:26-27; 16:12-15]When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. [Acts] "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." [John]
There seems to be two different traditions about the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles presents the tradition that depicts the disciples and Mary together with "tongues as of fire" hovering over their heads. The Gospel According to John presents a scene in the "upper room" and one of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances in which he "breathes" on them and confers the Holy Spirit. What is clear from both traditions and from St. Paul's letters is that the early Church had a strong sense of the Holy Spirit guiding and inspiring the preaching of the gospel.
Tradition proclaims the Pentecost event as "the birthday of the Church." The account from the Acts of the Apostles speaks to all the areas of the Roman Empire that the gospel had spread to by the time the account was written. St. Paul's journeys, also recounted in Acts, shows the rapid spread of the faith. His letters, as shown in the alternate second scriptures for today, speak to the effects of the Holy Spirit in devout believers.
We Catholics in the Latin rite can tend to associate the Holy Spirit with the sacrament of Confirmation, but that sacrament is meant as a "confirmation" of the Holy Spirit received at the time of baptism. Pope Francis has reminded us that this Holy Spirit calls us to be "missionary disciples," much as the first disciples. The popular spread of the "charismatic movement" in the Church celebrates the "gifts" of the Spirit as recounted in St. Paul, but those gifts are to be oriented to service. I count on this as I write this daily reflection! Today we celebrate the presence of the Holy Spirit in guiding the entire Church to all truth and inspiring our leaders as well as all baptized members to carry out the mission of preaching the gospel. AMEN