My Dearly Beloved in Christ;

It is the birthday of the Church! So, I guess it’s safe to say Happy Birthday to you all!

Today’s celebration of Pentecost Sunday reminds us of a historical event that occurred almost two thousand years ago. Before then, Pentecost in the Old Testament was a Jewish harvest festival known as the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Harvest (Exodus 34:22). It is celebrated 50 days (seven weeks) after Passover, hence the name “Pentekoste” in Greek which means “Fiftieth”.

It was also a Jewish liturgical celebration, commemorating the Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. For Christians, it remains the “Fiftieth day,” but after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles.

The first reading recounts the event of the first Christian Pentecost as witnessed by devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem (Acts. 2:5). Mary and the Apostles were all in one place together, when suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind which filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim (Acts 2:1-4). This was indeed a fulfilment of the promise of Jesus to send them the Advocate, the Holy Spirit who will teach them everything and remind them of all that He told them (John 14:26).

Scripture also recounts that when the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, they ceased to be themselves. All their thoughts, words and actions were now prompted and directed by the Holy Spirit. Hence, we could say that they were adopted by the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the Holy Spirit wants to adopt each one of us today. The word adoption in this context has two insinuations:

1. To take something as your own: The Holy Spirit wants us to be His own. He wants us to be His children.
2. To use something as your own: The Holy Spirit wants to use us as instruments of His grace. So that wherever there is sadness, we sow joy, where there is darkness, we bring light, and where there is despair, we give hope.

When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus on the day of Pentecost, they spoke in various tongues. This was a force that broke all the barriers that divide human beings and impede the attainment of full communion: the barriers of language, class, gender, culture, etc. The communion came to its peak when everyone heard the Apostles speak in his or her own language. This experience stands at variance with what happened at Babel. According to John Bergsma, “In both cases, there is confusion because of speaking. At Babel, they are confused because they do not understand. At Pentecost, they are confused because they do understand! The tower of Babel tells us how mankind was fractured. Pentecost tells us how mankind is reunited as a family: by the Spirit, which forms the Church, which is the new family of God”.

The Holy Spirit still accomplishes the same purpose among the community of believers. If we cooperate with Him, He has the power of providing the church with a singular language that can break the differences that exist among us. This singular language is the language of love. When the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles they began to live a common life. They prayed together, broke and shared bread together. They shared their belongings among themselves according to their needs. They were known for their love and unity. Thus, in union with the universal Church we pray: Veni Sancte Spiritus! — Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love! Amen.

Peace be with You!

-Fr. Samuel Aliba

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