Pentecost Sunday
Intro: today marks the end of the Easter season, ns we celcbrntc Pentecost, the ultimate purpose of Christ's dcnth, resurrection nnd ascension and the birthday of the Church. The Holy Spirit was instrumental in enabling the apostles to begin their task of bringing the good news to all nations. Let us pray that the same Spirit may blow away the cobwebs and confusion of our own lives, and enable us to sec more clearly what He is calling us to do for His Church.
ings: Acts tells us how the Holy Spirit make His presence known in dramatic fashion. The apostles are transformed and begin to proclaim the wonders of the good news to pilgrims from all over the world.
Paul reminds the Romans that, whatever their nationality, talents or status, they are all parts of the one Body of Christ, working together for the good of the Church.
Acts 2: 1-11;
Romans 8: 8-17;
John 14: 15-15, 23-26
Increasingly around the world, people gather in city centres at midnight each New Year to see firework dis plays. With the fireworks, there's a real sense of anticipation and excitement for a new beginning. New Year resolutions suggest an opportunity for change, for a new start and a new determination.
There were fireworks of a different kind at the first Pentecost - the rush of wind, the noise which filled the entire house, the tongues of fire which hovered over the apostles - all signalled a change in them. Their lives were transformed. The Holy Spirit had entered their hearts and given them a new beginning which, through their actions, would change the world, unlike our own half-hearted New Year resolutions!
St. Paul reminds us that we possess that same Spirit of power and courage and declares "the Spirit of God has made His home in you." In today's psalm, we prayed, "Send forth Your Spirit, 0 Lord, and renew the face of the earth." Do we really believe that? We all like to receive gifts, especially if they're "free" according to the advert. We know there's no such thing as a free lunch. Sometimes it will be hard to discern what the Holy Spirit is demanding of us, but we can be sure that the work of that Spirit will be evident in the actions we take to bring life and joy into our own lives, and the lives of those around us. The presence of the Holy Spirit produces a whole, variety of gifts, many of them so unspectacular that we hardly notice them - the gift of being a good listener, the gift of being cheerful, even when things are difficult, the gift of being a good and patient parent, the gift of being able to say "Jesus is Lord" even when confronted with temptation, sickness or death.
The Holy Spirit will use us, and speak through us just as powerfully, whenever we are prepared to open our hearts to His gifts, and allow Him to work in us. We don't live dramatic lives on the world stage. We live very ordinary, sometimes humdrum, lives going about our daily business in a noisy and often chaotic world. Yet there is one gift which is free, which simply cannot be bought: the gift of love. And today we celebrate the "best gift of God above" - the precious gift of God’s Spirit of love.
"Come, Holy Spirit, renew the face of the earth.'• Renew us in Your service and ours, for our families. the Church and the world.