Walking with Jesus: Pentecost Sunday

For Sunday, June 8, 2025

Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23


We go through seasons of the year, and we have special ones. We go through seasons of the Church year — Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter — which concludes with Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Spirit — and Ordinary Time, which begins next Sunday, June 15. Which one is our favorite? Today’s feast gives meaning to all of these Church seasons. Jesus, the Messiah, has been promised for centuries. He comes. He tells us He has come to show the Father’s love. In giving His life He has redeemed all of our sins. By His death and rising He shows us that heaven is our home. Today’s feast of Pentecost shows us that the Spirit is God’s gift to grace us and live as people of love. The Spirit is our constant reminder and help that God that brings us to heaven if we cooperate. Am I living in the love of the Spirit? Am I asking for the Spirit’s help to be a loving, forgiving person?

The Jewish feast of Pentecost was one of the three major pilgrim festivals of Israel. Originally it was an agricultural feast marking the end of the grain harvest. Eventually, like the other two pilgrim festivals, it took on more historical importance, commemorating the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Its designation as a major pilgrim feast explains why so many Jews (including men, women and children) from every nation were in Jerusalem at this time. The reading doesn’t tell us precisely who was in the Upper Room when the Spirit came. Was it the 120 who had gathered earlier (Acts 1:15) or just the 12 apostles (Acts 2:14)? We just don’t know. Some extraordinary signs, called phenomena, associated with God’s appearance materialized. For example, thunder accompanied God’s revelations at Mount Sinai (Exodus19:16), a whirlwind appeared where God spoke to Job (Job 38:1), and God spoke to Moses from a burning bush (Exodus 3:2). Scripture tells us that these phenomena were audible and visible, while the actual outpouring of the Spirit was not. What happened was astonishing — the room was filled with the Spirit and the people began speaking other languages, a feat that could only have supernatural origin. I can speak English and a bare smattering of Latin, French and Spanish — in no way enough to speak so that people from those cultures could understand me. Tongues of fire also appeared over each disciple, affirming the universal presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Can I identify the Spirit’s presence in my life? He’s there helping me love, forgive, and be kind when things are so hard. Am I grateful?

The Corinthian passage is unique, especially in the acclamation “Jesus is Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:3). In both Jewish and early Christian culture the word kyrios, meaning “Lord,” was the official title of the Roman emperor. To proclaim Jesus as Lord was to set up a rivalry between Jesus’ followers and the ruling political authority. Since most, if not all, of the emperors claimed somehow to be divine, the rivalry was both political and religious. And since the Roman government was involved in the death of Jesus, such a challenging claim would place those who made it at great risk for their lives. In my visit to Rome I was fascinated and appalled in touring the enormous Colosseum. Built in 80 A.D., it once entertained more than 50,000 spectators in events ranging from olympics to mass slaughterings of Christians. Many could hear the voices and cries of the victims and were captivated by their heroism, devotion and love of God. Another spiritual revelation, I feel.

John’s account assigns the resurrection and the bestowal of the Spirit upon the disciples to the same day: “the evening of that first day of the week.” (John 20:19) Also, the doors are locked: Jesus appears in the midst of the disciples and addresses those present with a greeting of peace. He shows them His wounds, confers the Spirit upon them and entrusts them with the power of binding and loosing. They are afraid … then Jesus appears with the gift of peace — a common Jewish greeting at the time and also a prayer for the eschatological blessings of health, prosperity, and all good things. Jesus is proclaiming the arrival of His time of fulfillment and, in showing His wounds, confirming He is not a figment of their imaginations or some kind of ghost. He is the same man who was crucified, but now He is risen. And the disciples rejoice … believe … go out. Now they know who God is, how God cares, and How God has promised heaven to all who believe, love, and forgive. Do I?

So I reflect on:

• Through the Spirit of God the world is renewed, the community is revitalized and we come to know the mysterious yet all-pervasive peace of Christ. What am I doing with this?
• If this has all happened, why does our world look the same? What am I failing to do?

Sacred Space 2025 states:

“Jesus understands our humanity so well and knows how poor our memories can be especially when, like the apostles, we grow older. To guide His church and preserve her in truth, He promises to send the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, but we need to trust in this promise of our Lord and be faithful to the teachings of the church.”