PENTECOST SUNDAY, YEAR A.
28th May 2023
Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-1; John 20:19-23.
The Pentecost is the celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Blessed Trinity. Jesus Christ calls Him the Advocate who is sent to continue the work of reconciling the world to God. He is the spirit of peace, the peace that unites the world in perfect harmony. Today’s gospel passage connects the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with the forgiveness of sin. It is through fostering forgiveness that the Holy Spirit will continue the work of human redemption.
The Holy Spirit comes to us to enable us to understand and appreciate the love action of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The crucifixion is a turning point in history when Jesus Christ ushered in a new form of life contrary to human violence of rivalry. His cross revealed the vicious circle of violence that held humanity to ransom through victimization – revenge and rivalry. He wilfully allowed himself to experience the cross in order to beat Satan in his game. Through the cross, Satan fell into the very pit he dug for humanity. Satan is exposed on the cross as mere violence that sets humanity against itself.
The resurrection of Christ ushered in a new life devoid of violence. The power of the resurrection is made manifest through the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit humanity is reconciled. Our uniqueness is brought together in rare form of unity. According to the first reading, the apostles began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech, and the people that assembled were bewildered to hear them speak their individual language. The success of any soccer team is the ability of the coach to discover and blend into one the numerous skills of the players that make up the team.
The Holy Spirit fosters unity of all believers. He builds the live of the church to resemble the divine unity of the Blessed Trinity.
Fr Anthony Ekpunobi, CM.
