This weekend we celebrate the “Pentecost Event.” Here are a few tidbits of info for you so that you can better understand what “this event” means…the word “Pentecost” literally means “50.th” It is the event celebrated on the 50th day after the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus by the Christians. Why do we celebrate Pentecost as
Christians? Whoa!!! We have so much to give thanks for on this day! We commemorate the time that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and Blessed Virgin Mary as fiery tongues at Pentecost and me the frightened apostles were transformed into fiery preachers and evangelizers by a special anointing of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was the moment that the “audience” (that could be you!) experienced a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit with the gift of tongues, the early Christians became powerful witnesses and brave martyrs for the faith. Whew!!! That IS a lot to celebrate! As we listen to this weekend’s readings from Holy Scripture, we are reminded that what we celebrate at Pentecost directly affects our daily lives as followers of Jesus Christ. Make no mistake about it…we may not have “been there,” but this experience of the Holy Spirit has been passed down to us through the ages. The Spirit is upon us and within us now…working in us as we evangelize (bring others to Christ) by the way we live each day. The main theme of today’s readings is that the gift of the Holy Spirit is something to be shared with others. That is, the readings remind us that the gifts that the Holy Spirit brings us should move us to actions of service. We are all called to be agents of forgiveness, kindness and mercy in the world today. This is not an easy task because our society can tend to be fiercely judgmental and vengeful. You CAN do it, however, because the Spirit is within you urging you on. More than a century ago, a great sailing ship was stranded off the coast of South America. Week after week the ship lay there in the still waters with not a hint of a breeze. The captain was desperate; the crew was dying of thirst. And then, on the far horizon, a steamship appeared, heading directly toward them. As it drew near, the captain called out, "We need water! Give us water!" The steamship replied, "Lower your buckets where you are." The captain was furious at this cavalier response but called out again, "Please, give us water." But the steamer gave the same reply, "Lower your buckets where you are!" And with that they sailed away! The captain was beside himself with anger and despair, and he went below. But a little later, when no one was looking, a yeoman lowered a bucket into the sea and then tasted what he brought up: It was perfectly sweet, fresh water! For you see, the ship was just out of sight of the mouth of the Amazon. And for all those weeks they had been sitting right on top of all the fresh water they needed! What we are really seeking is already inside us, waiting to be discovered, waiting to be embraced: the Holy Spirit of God who has been living within us from the first second of our life. The Holy Spirit is saying to us at this very moment, "Lower your buckets where you are. Taste and see!" GOSPEL HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEK: Google “gifts of the Holy Spirit” and reflect on them.