Pentecost Sunday
In these long months of the pandemic, one of the greatest inconveniences we have adopted is the mask. Among other things, the mask protected others and us from the impure breath. Moreover, one of the common symptoms of having the virus was the inability to breathe. Many simply died from the lack of breath. Breath – it is the difference between life and death. Breath is life and life is breath. No breath, no life. No life, no breath.
Today’s Pentecost gospel reading revolves around ‘breath’. In my three points, I would like to reflect on the Holy Spirit as the miracle breath of new life.
He Breathed on Them
In the Old Testament, the feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) was primarily a thanksgiving for the first fruits of the wheat harvest. Later, it was associated with a remembrance of the Law given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Synoptic gospel do not give us a description of the New Testament Pentecost. Our understanding of Pentecost in the New Testament that describes a mighty wind, tongues of fire, and people speaking in different tongues comes the Acts of the Apostles. The only gospel that does include a description of the Pentecost is the Gospel of John, but it is unlike the events in Acts. They are quieter and less dramatic events.
In John’s narrative, the church is born not fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, but rather, at the foot of the cross. Present at the cross were Mary, the mother of Jesus, the beloved disciple, and the faithful women of the New Testament. When John says that at the crucifixion,, Jesus, “bowing his head handed over the spirit” (Jn 19:30), the reference was to “the Holy Spirit,” rather than his spirit. This is the Johannine Pentecost.
There is a second Pentecost in John. We read about it in today’s gospel reading. After his resurrection Jesus appeared to his disciples, “breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit”” (Jn 20:22). In reality, John takes us back to creation, when God took the image God had made from “the dust of the ground, and blew into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen 2:7). This was the beginning of human life.
Just as at the first creation, Jesus breathing upon his disciples symbolizes a new creation. The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus prepared the way for Pentecost – the miracle of the breath of God.
The Miracle of the Breath of God
Human life began when God breathed into their nostrils the breath of life. That was the greatest miracle of the breath of God. One moment there was an image formed the dust of the ground and the next moment there was human life. Now, as Jesus breathed on the disciples there is a new beginning, a new creation, a new humanity, a new world, and a new people of God.
What does this new creation look like? Today’s first and second reading give us an insight into this new world. In the Acts of the Apostles, the newness is described as the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in different tongues and people from every nation hearing it in their own native language (Acts 2:1-11). All confusion, the lack of understanding, and all differences are replaced by understanding, coherence, and unity. Paul further explains this in today’s second reading from Galatians. Immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, and factions, are replaced by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). In other words, the new creation, the new world, the new people of God is how God originally intended creation, world, and people to be.
There is more. When Jesus breathed on the disciples, all fear, all doubt, and all uncertainty disappeared. Rather, filled with boldness and new faith they are sent forth by Jesus to begin a new ministry of reconciliation. Jesus said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20:23).
This Pentecost, let us pray that God may create us anew. Let us pray that God may create our world and our church anew.
“Come Holy Spirit”
Our gathering here in this space today is so much like the disciples gathered in the gospel reading and in Acts. We have faith in Jesus, but we also have our fears, our doubts, and our uncertainties. One look at the world and even the church, and we see immorality, impurity, lust, idolatry, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, and envy. But the Spirit of God transforms us and makes of us a new creation, a new world, a new people of God.
Twice in the Eucharistic prayer we invoke the Holy Spirit to come and create something new. First, during the consecration, we invite the Holy Spirit to come and transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Bread and wine become new realities – the Body and Blood of Christ. Second, we pray. “…grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son and filled with his Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ.” Each Eucharist, then, we pray that God may breathe upon us, our gifts of bread and wine, that we might become a new creation.
Today, as we pray the Eucharistic prayer, let us very intentionally invite God to breathe upon into us the breath of new life just as he breathed into the first human persons; to breath upon us just like Jesus breathed upon the disciples; to come upon us in a mighty wind and set our hearts on fire.
May this Pentecost be a miracle of God’s breath of new life.
- Fr. Satish Joseph