by Mark Escobar

Created on: January 02, 2010

Readings:  Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Rom 8:8-17; Jn 20:19-23

The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church, and our lives

Jesus said to them again, “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.  Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

We have witnessed an explosion of lawsuits in a number of cases for the past few years and crime continues to plague this nation with a broad range of misdeeds such as bribery, graft and corruption, innuendoes or drunken driving.  Surely, we don’t agree with everything that has been written or highlighted because in every story there are two sides to reckon. 

            Indeed, we notice that not a day seems to go by without another tragedy or shocking crime which is not unusual especially in a political lane.  We are at a point where we are encouraged to look at the bright side and welcome the greater diversity of being followers and believers in today’s world.

            This is what we argue and disagree, discuss and defend like those of Jesus’ disciples but in spite of that, we still have a common center and a grateful memory of what our country should be.  What we have in today’s liturgy is another historical incident with an ongoing reality which touches our lives every day; it is the feast of the Pentecost.[1]  It is what in the ancient time we call the birthday of the Church.

          In today’s gospel, however, Pentecost[2] – takes place on Easter Sunday, just before Jesus’ Ascension when he breathed[2] into his disciples to receive the mission[3] to go out and baptize everyone they can find, to preach the gospel and forgive sins (Luke and John.).  At this point in time, the gift would be a new spirit, a new creation, a new mission.  Gone are the days when the Jewish people would bring wheat and apples as their offerings.  This time though, the new offerings would be made every time a person becomes an epiclesis, a living invocation of the Spirit or in other words, one who acts in the world on God’s behalf.

         

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