Receive the Holy Spirit
As we once again prepare to celebrate the great Feast of Pentecost this coming Sunday, we are reminded of why exactly the Holy Spirit was sent to us. Jesus has been reminding us for weeks in our Gospel readings that he will be departing (which we celebrated last Sunday on the Ascension), but that he will send "the Advocate," the Holy Spirit, to be among us. But the disciples were not given the Spirit just to feel warm and fuzzy and know that God loves them. In both accounts of the giving of the Spirit that we hear in this Sunday’s readings the purpose is clear: the Spirit is sent for mission!
In the First Reading we hear the classic story of the event of Pentecost, where the disciples are "all in one place together" when suddenly there was "a noise like a strong driving wind" and "there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them." This is all nice, a visible reminder of God's enduring presence among them. But then "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim." Why else be given this ability if not to go forth and proclaim the Gospel? If all they had done was remain in the room and be amazed at their own abilities it would have been squandering what God had given them!
And then, in the Gospel, we have Jesus breathing upon the Apostles, saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Jesus is giving to these men a share in his own divine power to forgive sins! Why else would he do this if not to send them out to do just this and to bring the message of salvation and hope to all the nations? If all they had done was sit around and marvel at this and forgive each other's sins the Church would never have grown and we would never have heard the message of salvation!
So, as we read these readings and marvel at the things God did in the past, let us not forget: by our own Confirmation we have been given this same Holy Spirit! And it was not given to us to just sit around and feel warm fuzzies in our hearts when we pray or to talk only amongst ourselves in the Church about the amazing things God is doing. No! The Spirit is given to us for mission! Let us pray that, as we celebrate this great feast and recall the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost long ago, we may also be reminded that we too have received this Spirit, and for the same purpose: to go and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and salvation through Him to the whole world!
Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings this Sunday's Mass.
