“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, ‘Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.’ They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, ‘What does this mean?’” (New American Bible, Acts of the Apostles 2:1-12)
Pentecost was originally a feast of the Jewish faith that celebrated the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai. It occurred fifty days after Passover, hence the name Pentecost meaning fiftieth.
Pentecost is celebrated as a Christian feast because of the events that occurred fifty days after Jesus’ Resurrection: the descent of the Holy Spirit on those individuals that had gathered in the Cenacle, the Upper Room, and inaugurated the beginning of the Church. Pentecost is one of the three most important liturgical celebrations of the Church year. It celebrates and commemorates the establishment of the Church which is why it is referred to it as the “Birthday of the Church”.
The Pentecost Event, as I call it in my text, My Intended to be but Never, Ever, Ever to be Published Tome, is an occasion that radically impacted and drastically changed the Apostolic Church. Hiding behind locked doors and windows in fear of their lives, the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Advocate, as promised by Jesus, transforms these individuals into people that boldly proclaimed the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus.
What does the Pentecost Event have to do with the Church today?
Many individuals might question why an event that occurred about 2,000 years ago can have any impact or meaning for us today. Well, to me Pentecost can …
1. The Pentecost Event shows us what it truly means to be a Christian.
The word Christian does mean “Christ-like”. Being a Christian means following Jesus and accepting his teaching, but it also means evangelization. Evangelization may not mean vocal preaching, necessarily, but it does involve embodying and living out those principles that Jesus showed us and taught us. As Lumen Gentium states: “Therefore in the Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness…” (#39). We are ALL called to participate in the life and mission of the Church, whatever our talents and abilities are or wherever they lie. (Prager)
2. The Pentecost Event shows us how we, as Church, can deepen our faith.
The early Christian community “…devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” (New American Bible,Acts of the Apostles 2:42) The Pentecost Event reveals how we can start to make our faith deeper and fuller: by educating ourselves in what the Church teaches and practices; by participating in the sacramental (communal) life of the Church, especially the Eucharist; and by developing a deeper and more vibrant prayer life. (Prager)
3. The Pentecost Event can enable us to “see” the activity of the Holy Spirit in the entire Church and the Spirit’s involvement in the Church’s mission.
The Holy Spirit is at work through all the baptized since we are all called to holiness (see #1 above). The Holy Spirit enables the entire Church, using the myriad talents of the ordained and laity in tandem, to advance the mission of the Church:
From my perspective the Church’s mission is a vocation, a calling; all the baptized are called to “do something” and this “doing something” is composed of four parts:
- Spreading the Good News of our salvation through Jesus; that through the Paschal Mystery we have been saved, we can achieve eternal life.
- Being a prophetic voice to others, calling others to change their lives and lifestyles; the Church is called to have a counter-cultural impact. We are supposed to run counter to much of what the prevailing culture often says is good, right or just.
- Being a sign of Christ to others, being of service, ministering to others, as Jesus did; we’re supposed to be living out and embodying those values and principles that Jesus taught us and showed, by which Jesus lived.
- Regular and active participation in the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist. However, I would also say, for our time, the sacrament of Reconciliation is an important one, as well, depending on how one lives their life.
We have been called as Church to put this mission into action wherever our talents and abilities lie. Some of the baptized can preach some cannot; some can teach others cannot, but we all have talents that can be utilized to advance the Church’s mission. For most of the faithful, it most likely lies in how we live our lives on a daily basis at home with our family, in interaction with our neighbors or at work with our colleagues. (Prager) A lot will say what good can that do? Well, those of us in “the real world” are often the only place that others can see positive examples of what it means to really be a Christian, that’s what it can do.
The one question we might want to ask ourselves is: Do others see Christ in my actions and in me?
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church, (CCC), states: “…to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit. He comes to meet us and kindle faith in us.” (CCC, #683)
So not only are we an Easter people we’re also a Pentecost people, the two events are inexorably tied together – the Holy Spirit given to us by the risen Jesus continues to guide and sanctify us as Church. (Prager)
Bibliography
The Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Vatican, 06 Nov. 2002. Web. 18 March.2016 < http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM>
Lumen Gentium. The Vatican, 06 Nov. 2002 Web. 25 March 2014 <http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html>
The New American Bible. The Vatican, 06 Nov. 2002. Web. 12 Feb. 2014 <http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/_INDEX.HTM>
Prager, Edward.My Intended to be but Never, Ever, Ever to be Published Tome. n.p.