| Readings: | Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23 |
| Date: | May 24, 2026, Pentecost Sunday
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Today is often referred to as the birthday of the Church. This is not an official Church title or based on dogma. In fact, according to one Catholic Answers podcast I ran across this week, it is misleading to call it that. The reason he gave is that this is not when the Church came into existence. For instance, since we refer to the Church as the body of Christ, it would be more accurate to refer to Christmas as the birthday of the Church rather than Pentecost. The event we are celebrating today is not when the Church comes into existence but when the Church launches on it public mission of proclaiming the Good News, of actively working to bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth. So using Jesus' baptism as the event when he started his public ministry, we can call today the baptismal annointing with the Holy Spirit of the Church, or the Confirmation of the Church.
We just heard two different stories of an anointing with the Holy Spirit. In our Gospel passage from John, on the evening of that first Easter Sunday, Jesus breathes on the apostles and, with that bestowing of th Holy Spirit on them, gives them the power to forgive sin. In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus fulfills his Ascension day promise to be with them until the end of the ages in their mission by sending the Spirit on them again, this time giving them the courage and encouragement to break out of their fear and confusion to begin the Church's public mission of teaching all nations what Jesus taught them, and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
As I am sure you have heard me say many times, the Holy Spirit is probably the hardest person of the blessed Trinity for us to relate to. We have very concrete humanly understandable images of the Father and the Son, but the only biblical image of the Holy Spirit is a dove or breath or wind. I suggest that today's readings are helpful in getting me to a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit. From the very beginning, the Holy Spirit is described as life giving breath, or wind, or spirit. Even before the earth had any form, the breath of God hovered over the waters. God brings humans to life by breathing his Spirit into the clay.
So one way to understand the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit is life itself, being itself, and is present in not just all human beings but in everything that has life in the universe. So it is fair to understand the Holy Spirit as the gift of God that gives life, and then whatever else is needed for that instance of life. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, writing in the 4th century describes the Spirit by comparing the Holy Spirit to rain:
Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it.
In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of this action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvelous.
So we see in the gospel readings that, in one case, the effect on the apostles is to give them and their successors the power to forgive sin, and in our first reading from Acts, it animates them to put fear aside and go out into the crowds to proclaim the Good News. Each of us here who have been baptized and confirmed have received the Holy Spirit for some purpose, just as the apostles did. Our responsibility is to discern that purpose and devote our whole being to carrying it out. As St. Cyril said back in the 4th century the effects of this gift from God are both many and marvelous but they all point in that one direction as we heard in the account of the first Pentecost: we are to go forth and teach all nations what Jesus came to teach us. We are to do what ever we can to draw all people into one in Christ, so that God's plan to bring about the fullness of the kingdom of God here on earth will be completed.
And as I said last week at the Ascension, we do this not by our own power and authority but by that gift of the Spirit, with all the power and authority that has been given to Jesus.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
From a catechetical instruction by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop
The living water of the Holy Spirit
The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of living water, welling up into eternal life. This is a new kind of water, a living, leaping water, welling up for those who are worthy. But why did Christ call the grace of the Spirit water? Because all things are dependent on water; plants and animals have their origin in water. Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it.
In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of this action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvelous. The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to interpret holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one man's self-control, shows another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of asceticism, makes another oblivious to the needs of the body, trains another for martyrdom. His action is different in different people, but the Spirit himself is always the same. In each person, Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.
The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console. The Spirit comes to enlighten the mind first of the one who receives him, and then, through him, the minds of others as well.
As light strikes the eyes of a man who comes out of darkness into the sunshine and enables him to see clearly things he could not discern before, so light floods the soul of the man counted worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit and enables him to see things beyond the range of human vision, things hitherto undreamed of.