Pentecost Sunday
Readings:
Acts 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
John 20:19-23
Reflection:
Easter finishes today. An extra “alleluia” is needed because maintaining the Easter party spirit for 50 days is no mean feat.
Pentecost is not a separate feast after Easter, though it does emphasise the Easter gift of the Holy Spirit. In fact, however, if we remember, on Good Friday, we listened in the Passion as John wrote as Jesus died, “he breathe forth his Spirit’. A reminder that for John, Calvary was a Resurrection event.
We might remember, too, on the Octave Sunday of Easter, John wrote of Jesus appearing in the locked room, wishing peace, and ‘breathing on the disciple said: Receive the Holy Spirit”.
It was through the constant giving of his own Spirit to disciples that Jesus continued his mission to enable to the kingdom of God to shatter the darkness of this world. Wherever the friends of Jesus are gathered by the Spirit to share, to pray and to make Eucharist, then as an ancient hymn sing,’ the night is over, hells armies flee. And this is true even when it seems the light of Christ is not a blinding Nova blaze but seems more like small candles scattered in the darkness.
However, as our Fr Kevin Dance quoted last evening: ‘it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.’ So, what do we take from Easter, from Pentecost – wherever we are, let’s light our little candle and let it shine.
Fr Tom McDonough CP is the current provincial superior of Holy Spirit province.