Beginnings

Homily for the Solemnity of Pentecost

8 June 2014

 Today we celebrate the culmination of our temporal celebration of the Paschal Mystery. Today we celebrate the day of new beginnings.

This is the "beginning of beginnings" - the birthday of the Church. Today we celebrate that beginning which brings us to where we are today. If the Spirit, hadn't descended upon Mary and the Apostles in the Upper Room, we could still be waiting for the great work of the Church to begin. This is the day which brings the mercy of God! This beginning we celebrate with joy, for we recognize the same Spirit guiding the Church to this very day.

But this is also the "beginning of the ending" - the beginning of the end times. For two thousand years, since that first Pentecost, the Bride of Christ has been waiting in joyous anticipation for her Spouse's return. If the Spirit hadn't come upon us, then we couldn't wait in joyful hope for the return of Jesus Christ. This beginning we celebrate with joy, for we recognize the same Spirit guiding us to something greater for our lives - as individuals, as a society, as the Church, and as part of God's creation. This is the day before the Day of the Lord.

Now, if we truly believe that this day we celebrate is a day of beginnings, and if we truly believe in the great power of the Holy Spirit, then we will have no problem in allowing that Spirit to guide us, to lead us to the fullness of life. We celebrate this new beginning of our lives so that we can help transform the lives of others by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, this day is the final piece of the puzzle which helps bring together all the foreshadowing of the Old Testament, the Mystery of the Incarnation, and the Paschal Mystery. This day is the fulfillment of the vocation of the Body of Christ, the Church. This is the day that the command of Christ to "GO!" truly makes sense.

The Holy Spirit compels us - as individuals and as a community of faith - to go into the world in the Name of Jesus Christ. This Spirit commands us to begin anew and afresh everyday the task of bringing Christ to others and others to Christ. As we experience this "beginning of beginnings", we bring others to experience that same new beginning in their own lives. And as we experience each day the "beginning of the ending", we help others to recognize the coming of Christ in watching for His glorious return.

The remembrance of the coming of the Holy Spirit signifies for us the call to enter, once again, the Mysteries of our Faith. We all marvel at Mary, Peter, Paul and the Early Church for doing what they did. What these women and men did for the Faith is still the very same thing we are called to do with the Faith: We are to learn it, love it, and live it. And we do this by trusting in the Holy Spirit.

And so, celebrating this day of new beginnings through the power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, how do we renew our relationship with Christ and His Church? How do we allow our participation in Word and Sacrament to open us up to the fullness of the Truth? How do we become submissive to the Holy Spirit to "GO!" - serving the world in the Name of Jesus? How do we use the help of the Holy Spirit to use our gifts and talents to bring Christ to others and others to Christ? 

My brothers and sisters, the beginning caused by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit only wets our tongues for the complete joy that is to come for us who follow Christ with all of our mind, heart, and soul. Through the urging of the Holy Spirit, we give of the totality of our lives to spread the Good News that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we profess that "Jesus is Lord!", not only with our mouths, but, ultimately, with our lives.

Through the command of the Holy Spirit, we begin again. We begin our beginnings, recognizing the mercy of God. We also begin our endings, watching and waiting for the Day of the Lord, anticipating the moment when we will take part in the eternal glorification of God.

We begin anew today because we see the fruition of the promises of Jesus Christ in our lives. We begin anew today because we desire to become closer to the Father. We begin anew today because it is the Spirit who gives life, and beckons us to live deeper the Mysteries of our Faith.

And so we pray:

 Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

Enjoy the journey . . .