A unifying force

Cycle C – Pentecoste

FIRST READING: Acts 2: 1-11. When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

SECOND READING: 1 Cor. 12:2-7; 12-13. No one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God inspires them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. But just as, the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

GOSPEL: John 14:23-26. Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

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What is this ‘Spirit’ which we call holy and a person? In Acts it is called “like the rush of a mighty wind”, “tongues as of fire”, and “a sound”. In the gospel Jesus calls it “the Advocate”. It appears that we are lost for a precise word which might explain exactly what the Holy Spirit is. Maybe it is a force. Maybe energy. Maybe strength. Maybe power. Perhaps all of these and more besides. The Holy Spirit is the life of God in living beings. It is that which forms the Church of God, that is God’s universal community of people embracing Jesus’ values.

Paul insists that the gifts of this Spirit are not for one’s own personal use: they are always communitarian. A Christian spirituality which is not social, and perhaps even political, is not genuine. The Spirit bestowed is always for service and kinship.

Jesus points out two main functions of the Spirit: to teach and to remind; teach and remind the instructions and education of Jesus, and remind of his values.