The story of the first Pentecost is full of colorful and dramatic elements:  a strong driving wind, tongues of fire, disciples bursting forth into the street speaking different languages. As powerful as all that is, I believe that what really astounded and amazed people and drew them into the Body of Christ was that each of them heard the message in their own language.

 Pentecost was an ancient Jewish pilgrimage feast, when Jews living in foreign counties (the Medes, the Parthians, the Elamites, the Egyptians, etc.) retuned to Jerusalem to renew their covenant identity. Outside of Israel, Jews were a minority group, with strange kosher laws, customs, and practices. We can imagine many of these people having lived in another country for several generations still struggling to fit in with the language and customs of another country. Perhaps their understanding of Hebrew or Aramaic was very poor. We can also imagine the people of Jerusalem not exactly looking forward to this influx of foreigners speaking strange languages. In a sense, these pilgrims were outsiders both at home and in Jerusalem. Yet, this one Pentecost something different happened. These Galileans, these rustic fishermen, started speaking to US in OUR language! All of a sudden, they were no longer foreigners. They were no longer outsiders. God is speaking directly to us. We, too, are valued members of the Covenant. This, I believe, is what led so many to seek inclusion in the Body of Christ on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit brought the people of many nations and many languages together as one. What are the implications of the Pentecost experience for the Church today?

First: we have to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, because only the Spirit can fix our problems. We live in a divided world, a divided nation, and, in many ways, a divided church. More and more people question the relevance of Christianity or organized religion in general. As part of theRenew My Church process, we were asked to draft an evangelization plan. We do not know what the disciples were doing in the Upper Room prior to Pentecost. Perhaps they were drafting an evangelization plan as well. But their plans could not have been as powerful or audacious as what the Spirit brought about. The first thing that happened to the disciples is that they lost control. The Spirit seized hold of them and used them to accomplish God’s plan. They were not in charge of evangelization any more. I am sure that our small evangelization plan has and will do some good, but it will be far less than what God wants for us and can do through us. The need to hold on to control has been one of the besetting sins of the Catholic Church. The whole long agony of the clergy sex abuse crisis comes from trying to control the message: putting the reputation of the church above the safety of children. We can do such things when we are in charge. We can manage and control and focus on our own narrow interests. The Spirit can lead us past our plans, our solutions, our human limitations and narrow interests and into the realm of God’s dream for the Church and the world. 

Second, we need to be open to new ways of expressing the Good News. Pope Francis has been criticized for suggesting that some of the language we traditionally use to express church doctrine can be an obstacle to understanding the message itself. We need to find new terminology and new language to make the message compelling and relevant. What drew people to the Body of Christ on Pentecost was that the apostles were speaking their language. They could understand it and relate to it. Finding new ways of expressing church teaching involves listening as well as speaking. There used to be a Sunday morning television program called Christ Is the Answer.  Christ is still the answer; but what are the questions that people have?

Finally, we need to remember that Pentecost is the gift that the Church is meant to offer the world. It is the gift of peace, understanding, and unity; but we have to inhabit and live that gift first. Pentecost is not an event or a liturgy in church; Pentecost is a life-style. If we are operating out of our gifts, if we have recognized, and owned, and shared the gifts the Spirt has bestowed upon us, then the Body will grow. Operating out of the gifts of the Spirit means asking what is good for the Body and not just what is good for me. Pentecost is meant to be a model for how God wants all people to relate to one another: how to create peace among warring nations, get the members of Congress to work together for the common good, and address the problems that beset our city.  Can our faith communities show others the way? It seems highly unlikely; but that is just me talking. God, on the other hand, makes no small plans.

                   Fr. Joe