Sunday 28th May 2023 - Pentecost

Acts 2:1-11/ Psalm 103(104)/ 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13/ John 20:19-23

When we look around our world there seems to be a lot of division. Societies are becoming polarised around matters of opinion creating chasms between people. This is not just a worldwide phenomenon but is occurring in our countries, our homes, and our families. The peace and forgiveness that Jesus gifted to us before he returned to heaven is a gift the world has received but is a gift that many have not accepted yet alone opened and used. A world short of God’s peace and forgiveness will see increasing disagreements which can lead to aggression, violence, and war.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are being poured out into the world but as with any gifts they will only be effective if it accepted and used. The power of the Holy Spirit is as strong today as it was in those early days of the Church when the disciples came out of hiding and started preaching the message of peace and forgiveness they had received from the risen Lord, Jesus. Throughout the passages of the Acts of the Apostles we can get a feel for the power of the Holy Spirit driving the growth of the early Church. Through simple people like you and me the Holy Spirit was able to overcome obstacles ranging from disinterest to outright persecution to establish and grow the Church founded by Jesus.

In the first reading the disciples who had been hiding away following the death of Jesus lost all fear and trepidation and appeared in public preaching the message of the risen Lord with commitment and confidence. We are given a list of some of the varied people who were there, people from far and wide but all heard the message in their own language. The message of peace and forgiveness that Jesus brought is one message and the Holy Spirit speaks with one language but is heard by many in their own way. It is the same today. The Holy Spirit guides the Church on earth so that all people can hear the one message but in their various languages and in accordance with their individual cultures.

The extract from the first letter to the Church in Corinth describes how the Church, the body of Christ on earth, is made up of many parts but through one Spirit given to us all to drink. Jesus gifted us, his followers, the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can also spread the message of God’s peace and forgiveness throughout the world. The message from today’s celebration is one of unity in the Holy Spirit. The Church is one entity from the triumphant gathering in heaven all the way through to us still here on earth and those yet to come. The problem we have in this life is that evil is still a real and present danger and continues to maintain a hold over us. From the very beginnings of the Church evil has managed to sow division amongst us. It is through evil exploiting human weakness that the scandal of division has arisen within the Christian community. Just as ever we need the prayer emanating from to psalm today, ‘Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth’.

There is only one universal Church founded by Jesus, it is made up of many parts but on earth it suffers from various divisions caused by human failings due to the still strong influence of evil. This makes the purpose of the Church so much more challenging. The message that should be heard from Christians is one of healing love and joy emanating from our risen Lord offering all his peace and forgiveness. This message is made all the harder to proclaim while there continues to be disagreement and division amongst us. We must pray that the Holy Spirit continues to be poured out on the Church on earth so that divisions can be healed and the message we have can be heard by all in one unified language.

God Bless, Brendan.