About a decade ago, my wife and I along with six members of our family were vacationing in northern Italy to be followed by a week of visiting Croatia, Greece and Turkey. Most of our overseas trips are usually to one area in which the same language is spoken when visiting different countries. Though our tour guides would all speak English for our side trips, we would be exposed to several languages we did not know.
I share this incident because it reminds me of the Pentecost scene from the Acts of the Apostles reading today during the three Jewish pilgrimage festivals of Shavuot in Jerusalem commemorating the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. Hundreds, if not thousands of devout Jews and believers from throughout the world, were present speaking multiple languages as they try to communicate with each other how important it was to share their love of God under the Old Covenant.
While this is happening, the Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles, filling them with God’s gifts to share Jesus’ New Covenant of Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension towards a path of everlasting life. And, to make sure that all understand, the Apostles are blessed with understanding and speaking all languages of those in attendance. As they were listening and being filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, God’s Church started its growth as Jesus proclaimed it would; by communicating Christ’s message to everyone. Some 3,000 people were converted that day.
By our Baptism into the Catholic faith, we too are called to embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit we received and to communicate them with all we come into contact, whether a believer or non-believer. We are to share the blessing of Christ’s peace He gave to the Apostles in St. John’s Gospel, as well as to practice forgiveness for those who have hurt us by reaching out to them as we ask for God’s forgiveness for our faults.
Pentecost is a reminder to us that we have a new lease on life. As children of God, loved by Jesus, brought to God the Father by Him and together being blessed with the Holy Spirit through the practice of our faith, we are accepted. We have the oneness in relationship with God for which He has asked through our Baptism and we promise to uphold. In addition, the second part of our baptismal promise is to love all God has created as Jesus loves us. We do that by following through with the commission He gave to His Apostles and us as believers.
Knowing that the first act of the Holy Spirit when sent to the Apostles on Pentecost is the work of communication, let us ask ourselves how can we renew the way we speak with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow worshippers and strangers who are looking for truth in their faith? Let us with peace and kindness speak about how any of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit we received have touched us and given us strength to speak out about Jesus teachings that leads to a path of everlasting life. Hopefully, we and to those to whom we reach out will grow in wisdom, understanding counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of God.
Reading 1: Acts 2: 1-11
Reading 2: First Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13
Gospel: John 20: 19-23
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