Acts
2: 1-11; 1Cor 12: 3b-7, 12-13; Jho 20: 19-23
We are celebrating the great solemnity of Pentecost,
conclusion of the fifty days of the paschal season and its fullness. This solemnity
celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples and the
beginning of the mission of the Church, community of the new covenant. It
celebrates also the sure of the presence of this Spirit in the Church and
within us. This is the Spirit of Jesus and the Father, the Spirit of Consolation
for those who feel the physical absence of Jesus; the Spirit of
strength for those who need courage to be true witness of Jesus to all; the
Spirit of unity so that the testimony about Jesus should be convincing.
The readings,
specially the first and the third ones, start speaking about some place where
the disciples were gathered together, sharing common expectations and
commitments, but not very motivated because the opposition of the Jewish society
against teachings of Jesus and his followers. Jesus promised to be with them
always and advised them to wait for the strength from above, which would come
upon them soon. So they maintained their faith in the word of Jesus and persevered
in prayer, asking God for this strength. Suddenly, according to the time and
the will of God, the Spirit came and filled all and the environment. According
to the gospel of John this great gift of the Holy Spirit was given in the same
day of the Resurrection as expression of the new life of Jesus to all. The
Jewish feast of Pentecost became Feast of the new creation through the action
of the Spirit of Jesus. All were transformed, recreated. Like this, the church,
community of the followers of Jesus, started its journey united, strengthened,
opened to whole world.
Jesus blew his
Spirit upon his disciples. Through the action of his Holy Spirit the Christian
community received the gift of the peace and the joy in order to proclaim the
marvellous deeds of God, promoting reconciliation among the peoples. The gift
of the different tongues shows that the Church is called in order to be present
in the reality of the people, of the cultures and to dialogue with them using accessible
language, which creates understanding and communion. Through the action of the
Holy Spirit all people are been called to the communion and brotherhood, that
is, from many tongues to unique language, the language of the love. The human
language and the love of God are mixed in order to arise, from all cultures,
only one people, a people totally renewed, proclaiming in different ways the
wonders of the Lord.
This
liturgy is invitation to the unity and charity of Christ. As Christians, we are
members of his body. This body needs to work well in order to perform its
finality. The people need not only to listen to good things about Jesus, but
need also to see the truth of this announcement through their testimony of
communion of the Christians. The Mtakatifu John Paul II wrote in the encyclical
Ut Unum Sint that
the search for unity and full communion among the Christians is not optional activity,
but it makes part of the mission of the Church as servant of Christ (UUS, 20).
As Christian community we need to reassume this commitment from the style of
Christ, according his way of think, feeling, working. Although the past was
painful for the Christianity and it continues causing many wounds among the
Christians, we are
motivated by the love and the grace of the Holy Spirit to forgive one another
and to live reconciled. Reconciliation is gift given to the Christian community
as mission and it is the condition for the unity, according to desire of
Christ: “May all be one”. May the Holy Spirit help us in this purpose. Come,
Holy Spirit!
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