Pentecost Sunday

Fr Dominic’s Homily

Today is the great feast of Pentecost where the Holy Spirit comes down in tongues of fire on Mary and the disciples. The name “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word meaning “fiftieth” as it is fifty days after Easter.

Today isn’t just the end of the Easter season! It’s the birthday of the church. It’s the feast of the Holy Spirit. It’s the start of something new.

Like all the major feasts of the Church, Pentecost arises from a Jewish feast. Through the person of Jesus all the Jewish feasts find their true meaning and fulfilment.

So it was the feast of Harvest festival and a time of pilgrimage. So it was a very good time for the Holy Spirit to come down and inspire the Apostles to preach to all nations because Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims from many countries.

The people were celebrating the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Remember God gives the 10 commandments at Mount Sinai from the fire of the mountain accompanied with loud thunder. So really today’s feast of Pentecost is a replaying of what happens in the Old Testament at Mount Sinai.

We hear in the New Testament the Holy Spirit reigns down in tongues of fire on Our Lady and the apostles not to give them the old law written in tablets of stone by God the Father but the new law which is to be written in their hearts by the Holy Spirit.

This explains why there are tongues of fire and not white doves appearing on the disciples. It emulates Mount Sinai and Moses. And it shows the power and divinity of the Holy Spirit.

Now this is the point where the disciples - those who are simply learning from Jesus - become apostles meaning people who are sent out on mission because now they are sent out on Mission with confidence. How often do we stay locked in our own little upper rooms? Do we have fearful hearts and insecurities from unhealed wounds? Fear needs to be conquered by faith in the Holy Spirit.

The disciples can now speak different languages supernaturally this is what is meant by speaking in tongues. And all these people from those complicated sounding towns understand them. In other words it undoes the sin of the tower of Babylon where everyone got divided by different languages. The only way the world will ever be united is through the power and love of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit brings Wisdom, knowledge and understanding allowing us to become defenders and missionaries of faith. Through the Holy Spirit we receive Charisms. These differ from simply the natural gifts that we are born with which we can use for ourselves. They are spiritually infused abilities that God gives you to use in particular situations for his glory. They have a supernatural fruitfulness associated with them.

Throughout the Bible we see that there are many descriptions of the Holy Spirit:

Fire because it cleanses and purifies. It also heals - think of cauterisation. Fire has an almost supernatural quality about it. It consists of a hot plasma of electrons that have been freed from their atoms in a kind of continuing chemical reaction. We are drawn towards it but we always retain a healthy fear of fire.

Water because this comes down from heaven as rain, yet it produces many different effects through out the whole of creation. It allows different plants and animals to achieve their potential and become what they are truly meant to be. So it is with the Holy Spirit and us.

Light because just as light enters our eyes so the Holy Spirit enters our souls and enables us to see things from a spiritual perspective.

And sometimes the Holy Spirit is described as a life giving breath. When we are born into this world we breathe in to receive life. When we die the last thing we do is expire – we breathe out the life of the Holy Spirit.

So today on this birthday of the Church let us invoke the Holy Spirit to set our hearts on fire

And let’s use the gifts and charisms we have received for the benefit and uniting of those around us and for the Glory of God.