Reading 1
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 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."
Gospel
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."
Reflection
Today is Pentecost Sunday, traditionally celebrated as the “birthday” of our Holy Catholic Church. This is the day we remember the Holy Spirit descending upon Christ’s followers and equipping them for their mission to go forth and make disciples of all nations. We recall that the Church’s mission, and the Holy Spirit who inspires it, is essential to her existence.
Pentecost is the day that the followers of Christ finally went out to tell the good news. In today’s Gospel passage, which takes place a few weeks before the Pentecost scene in our first reading, Jesus has already risen from the dead, but the Apostles have locked themselves away in fear of persecution. We can ponder the difference between a group ruled by fear and a Church on fire with the Holy Spirit. How do we, the Church of today--gifted with the same Spirit who filled the faithful at Pentecost--behave? We have no excuse to hide behind locked doors from our persecutors. God is alive in us, and the Holy Spirit will give us every grace to accomplish our mission. Our Church, when she is truly and fully herself, is a Church that preaches openly about the “mighty acts of God.”
The listeners in the first reading all heard the disciples’ words in their own native language, but this phenomenon is not a testament to the talent of the speakers. Rather, it is a demonstration of how the Holy Spirit addresses every individual in a language they can understand. On this feast, we should remember that our mission in the Church is to tell the Good News zealously and unapologetically. The Holy Spirit will give us the proper words to do so--and will then bring those words to the hearts of those who hear them.
In the Gospel, Jesus bestows the Holy Spirit along with His peace, His merciful authority, and a mission: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." The Church today, instituted by Christ and enlivened by the Spirit, continues to bear these gifts. On this Pentecost Sunday, we thank God for His presence in and through the Church and ask the Holy Spirit to increase those graces which enable us to live and share the loving message of Our Lord.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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