Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost Sunday

Vol.5 No.36 DoM Gospel Reflection
Pentecost Sunday—May 15, 2016
John 14: 15-16, 23b-26
Presented by Dr. Matthew Baugh, S.J.

Holy Spirit: Breath, Word, Life

Creation & Life: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God (Heb. ruach elohim: breath / wind of God) was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be…” (Gen 1:1-3)

Human Life: The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. (Gen 2:7)

Meeting: Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter… There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks…but the Lord was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake— but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a still small voice. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. (1 Kings 19:9,11-12)

God Takes on Human Life (Incarnation): The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. (Lk 1:35)

Word Made Flesh: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father. (Jn 1:1-4,14)

Giving Birth to Children: To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to
become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of
man, but of God. (Jn 12-13)

Who Overflow with Riches: And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (Jn 1:16-17)

Promised Gift of the Resurrection: While staying with the disciples [during forty days after his
passion], Jesus charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the
Father… (Acts 1:4)

Gift and Task: He said to them…“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Exercise: Spirit & Word

Pentecost: A New Incarnation
Jewish Feast of Weeks: Three times a year, all your males shall appear before the Lord, your God, in the place which he will choose: at the feast of Unleavened Bread, at the feast of Weeks, and at the feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed, but each with his own gift, in proportion to the blessing which the Lord, your God, has given to you. (Deut 16:16-17)

-7 Weeks / 50th day after Passover (pentecost = Gr. for 50th)

-Harvest festival when first loaves of bread from spring wheat crop were dedicated as
firstfruits to the Lord

-Became celebration of the Torah given to Israel on Mt. Sinai (gift of the Law)

New Gift: When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the
mighty works of God.”

Holy Spirit: Indwelling Word
The Father Dwells in Me as Word: Jesus said, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Those who do not love me do not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.” (Jn 14:23-24)

Sending Me on Mission with Christ: An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the
southg to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road. And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Author Info

cindywarner