Pentecost Sunday (08.06.14)
In today’s Gospel John describes for us the scene following the death of Jesus.
Since the crucifixion the disciples have been bunched together behind locked doors, “for fear of the Jews”.
However, when the risen Jesus appears in their midst, and breathes on them the Holy Spirit, they experience a great peace, and their paralysing fear and hopelessness is transformed into a courageous freedom empowering them to understand the past and to face the future with a new heart.
They are now sent out as ambassadors for Christ, commissioned to breathe out as they have breathed in; to share this new Spirit with the multitude of people still trapped in their own ignorance or despair.
Paul, in the second reading, describes the diversity of the Spirit in the ministry of the apostles, who go forth to spread this Good News – each using his own unique method to evangelise – offering the opportunity for a renewed relationship with God. It is a time of new beginnings, a time of a new creation. Through this Holy Spirit a whole new life is possible.
This same Spirit of God is in our midst today – as St. Paul says “working in all sorts of ways in different people”.
There is a variety of gifts from the one Spirit in which we were all baptised. Our differences are funded by the Spirit who works not to standardise everyone but to make allowances for variety.
Our task is therefore to discover how the Spirit has gifted us in particular, and also to appreciate and acknowledge the Spirit’s different gifts in other people. It might be helpful to pause a moment and call to mind theseven gifts of the Holy Spirit:-
Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge,
Piety (Filial Love) and the Fear of the Lord ( Awe)
which in turn yield a harvest of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, namely:-
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Benignity (Kindness), Goodness (Generosity), Longsuffering (Forbearance), Mildness (Gentleness), Faith, Modesty (Courtesy), Continence (Temperance), Chastity (Purity).
In the fields patches of green are appearing, new patches on an old garment,
but given time, Spring will weave a completely new garment.
Yet, Spring is only a facilitator.
It doesn’t make anything happen.
It merely creates the climate in which things can grow.
We too need to grow, to grow as human beings and as children of God.
But growth is slow and painful.
We do not easily let go of the old garment, woven out of old habits and attitudes.
But we have been given a wonderful facilitator, namely, the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit awakens us to the mysterious power within us, bids us live, and helps us grow.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us.