Birthday Of The Church--Going Out Into The World For Christ Series

Pentecost Sunday 2024

There’s kind of an undogmatic understanding in the Church about the major religious festivals of the Christian year. They basically come from the writings of and through St. Paul. In first place there is what is formally called “the Triduum,” the three days preceding Easter, and Easter day itself, when we celebrate the passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus, beginning with the Great Passover commemoration on Maundy Thursday. That’s number 1 feast, because without the Resurrection, we are all just wasting hours every Sunday coming here.

The feast most folks consider number 2 is Christmas, but that’s not correct. You may object, “we have a whole month of prep called Advent, don’t we? And at least the Catholics make every day of the next week a solemnity, culminating with a big feast on New Year’s Day.” True enough, but the twelfth day, Epiphany, the coming of the Magi, is even bigger.

No, Pentecost is number 2, and Christmas and Epiphany are less important. You see, Pentecost has been a big deal from the beginning, because it’s really the “birthday of the Church.” Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on the apostles, giving them the same power over sin that He showed in His public ministry. That was on the first Easter. But fifty days later–read the Acts account again–there was a veritable explosion of the Holy Ghost in tongues of fire and the languages of earth, not behind locked doors, but out in the open, maybe even in a portico of the Jerusalem Temple. And it was the signal for Peter and his colleagues to fulfill the mission Jesus gave them at His ascension. “Go out to all the world and preach the Gospel, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” He promised this miracle and He fulfilled the promise in fire and sound.

So let’s consider some practical applications. St. Paul gives good advice. First of all, don’t use the name of Jesus as a curse. Don’t abuse His Holy Name. Too often I hear someone doing that, perhaps as a sign of frustration or anger when someone upsets him. Maybe you do it. If you catch yourself, turn it into a prayer. Add “have mercy” or “forgive us, Lord.” Nothing wrong and several things right with that idea.

Open yourself to the Holy Spirit. That’s advice number 2. Use the prayer “Jesus is Lord.” It’s not illegal today–at least not yet–but in Paul’s time it was. Back in the first century, Caesar was lord. In fact, he was considered a “god.” That’s officially. Everybody knew Nero was a bloodthirsty jerk, but in public you had to affirm his divinity. If you said that about Jesus, though, you were subject to torture and death.

Third, read all the list of spiritual gifts in the letters to the Romans, Corinthians and Galatians. Find yourself in one or more lists, and then cultivate those gifts of prayer, service, interior growth or total commitment in your own life. Get help on that from a spiritual director or pastor. The community of God, the Church, needs all of us to activate our own special manifestation of the Holy Spirit. That’s not optional; it’s required for all followers of Christ.

God sends forth His spirit and life is created. He did that in the beginning, when out of timeless eternity, His overflowing love created every material and spiritual reality in the universe. He did that on the first Easter, and on Pentecost, by pouring out the Holy Breath, the Holy Spirit. He does that in every baptism, because we are baptized when we are soaked in water and the Holy Spirit. And He does that every time we ask. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love.