Pentecost: A Beginning

By Unknown -

I have always thought of Pentecost as an ending because it concludes the great season of Easter. However, today I was reminded by the priest at Mass in his homily that Pentecost is actually a beginning; it was one of those aha moments. 
With the coming of the Holy Spirit, something new was started~first and foremost the Church. But something new was begun in each of the Apostles as the gift of the Holy Spirit was breathed into them by Christ. They went and did things they never had before, probably never thought of before. I somehow suspect that like most things Jesus told His Apostles, they probably didn't quite get what He meant when He told them He would sent another Advocate, the Paraclete. It probably wasn't until after Jesus ascended and after Pentecost that they understood more fully what He meant.
As Father reminded us in his homily today, there are no endings in Christ. His Passion, Death and Resurrection conquered death. He tells us that He makes all things new and that He has come so that we may have life. When one thing ends, a new one begins. 
It is the same for us just as it was for the Apostles. God breathed His Holy Spirit into each of us at our Baptism and Confirmation. We continue to pray that His gifts will be enlivened within us so that we may bear the fruits of these gifts in our lives. In this way, God, in the Holy Spirit will renew the face of the earth in and through each of us.

Comments

  1. Mary N.7:55 pm, June 12, 2011

    I love reflecting on the changes in the apostles after the Holy Spirit came upon them. It's beautiful how he changed their hearts and does the same to ours. A new beginning for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Victor S E Moubarak2:17 am, June 13, 2011

    Why did He do it twice?

    After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Disciples and breathed on them saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit".

    After He ascended into Heaven, the Disciples were gathered together, afraid, and the Holy Spirit came upon them as tongues of fire.

    Why did the Holy Spirit have to be given to them twice?

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown8:19 am, June 13, 2011

    Thanks for your thoughts on this one, Mary and Victor.
    Victor, I am not sure why twice. That's one of those questions you may have to put on your list of things to ask Jesus when you meet Him face to face :)

    ReplyDelete

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