Pentecost Sunday!
Pentecost Sunday!
Pentecost Sunday!
We all enjoy celebrating our birthdays. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. The name Pentecost comes from the Greek word "pentekoste," meaning "fiftieth." It concludes the 50 days of the Easter season. The Jews celebrated the Feast of Pentecost fifty days after the Passover. Initially, it was an agricultural feast, and later, the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. Now we celebrate the new Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus' resurrection, marking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. The second reading for the Vigil is from the book of Exodus (19:3-8a,16-20b). There, when God came to Mount Sinai, there was fire and a loud sound with a trumpet blast (19:18-20). In the new Pentecost, there was a mighty wind, and tongues of fire came upon the apostles (Acts 2:1-11).
We can see the presence of the Holy Spirit from the beginning of the Bible. In the Book of Genesis (1:2) we read, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the earth” (2:7). We read, “The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” In the Gospel of John 20:21 & 22, Jesus, after the resurrection, appeared to the disciples and said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In the book of Genesis, we see the first creation of man, and in the Gospel of John, we see the recreation.
The first reading for the Vigil Mass is from the book of Genesis, chapters 11:1-9, which provides the background for understanding Pentecost as a reversal of the story of Babel. The word babel means confused voice(s). The story of the Tower of Babel tells us that the sinful pride of the human beings separates them from God, and to show their pride, they decided to build the tower to reach the sky. They all spoke the same language, but God confused them, and that prevented them from building the tower. The first reading for the Mass of the day (Acts 2:1-11) is notable, as it describes how people from many nations overcame the language barrier. All of them were able to understand the Apostles when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Christian tradition views Pentecost as the undoing of the Tower of Babel, and the reunification of the human family through the mission and witness of the apostolic Church.
The second reading for vigil is from Ezekiel 37:1-14, he sees the resurrection of the valley of dry bones. God will raise the Israelites from their graves and put His Spirit within them. The twelve Apostles, who are the twelve patriarchs of the reconstituted tribes of Israel, received the Holy Spirit and preached the Gospel (Acts 2:1-11). In the light of Ezekiel, we recognize Pentecost as the resurrection of Israel.
In the reading from the book of Joel (3:1-5), he anticipates that the Lord will someday renew the faithful with the divine spirit. In Acts 2:17-21, Peter addresses the people, citing Joel’s words to suggest that the newly constituted Christian community, filled with divine life and power, inaugurates the Lord’s Day, understood as salvation for all who believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. The Epistle for Vigil Mass from Romans (8:22-27), the Holy Spirit deep within moves us to pray. Like a woman endures labor pain, humanity suffers in this life, even looking for liberation and the fulfillment of everlasting life. Acknowledging that we do not know how to pray is the first step in obtaining the help of the Holy Spirit in prayer. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Apostles, wished them peace, breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:19-23). It was a gradual process, and on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them and transformed their lives.
We received the Holy Spirit at our Baptism and were strengthened by the Sacrament of Confirmation by the laying of hands. The anointing of the Holy Spirit takes place within us when we eagerly ask for it. Sometimes we may attempt to think that it is for the saintly people. It is not a wrong concept. Anointing of the Holy Spirit is for all of us to grow in holiness. Jesus promised the apostles an advocate, a helper. When they received the Holy Spirit, it changed their lives; they were freed from fear. They went out to the street and proclaimed the Good News. We are the missionary disciples who are sent out to proclaim the good news. It may be our homes, our neighborhood, our workplace, and our son. Suppose you didn't see your friend at Mass, do you feel the need to call? Perhaps I should rephrase that question: “Do you miss them?” Pentecost reminds us to ask the Holy Spirit to inspire us to reach out to others, as we are sent out to evangelize.
The Mass: After the Eucharistic Prayer concludes with the doxology “Through Him, with Him, and in Him,” the Communion Rite begins, starting with the Lord’s Prayer. The priest introduces the Our Father: “At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say…” and we all recite together the prayer. After the Our Father, the priest says the embolism, a prayer that elaborates on the final petition (“deliver us from evil”). A doxology follows this: “For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.” The prayer “Our Father…) comes from the Gospel of Matthew 6:9-13 and a shorter version in the Gospel of Luke 11:1-4. The final doxology (“For the kingdom…”) is not in the biblical texts but is a traditional part of Christian liturgy. Protestants use it, but it originates from the Roman Rite of the Apostolic era. St. Cyprian, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine all describe it as a bold or daring prayer, permissible only because baptism makes Christians sons/daughters in the Son, granting them the right to pray as Jesus does. In the East, the faithful prayed this prayer alongside the priest, but in the West, the priest alone recited this prayer until Vatican II.