Fr Jack SJ MD: Pentecost

Acts 2:1-11

Ps 104

1 Cor 12:3-7,12-13

Jn 20:19-23

The celebration of Pentecost, a name derived from Greek meaning fiftieth day. is not unique to the Church. Pentecost is another name for the Jewish feast of Shavuot, the festival that commemorates Moses receiving the Torah fifty days after the Exodus. Shavuot always falls between May 15 and June 14 on the Gregorian calendar. This year it was just a few days ago beginning on the evening of June 1 and ending at nightfall on June 3. For Catholics, Pentecost always falls between May 10^th and June 13^th fifty days after the Resurrection. Moses received the wisdom and teaching of the Torah fifty days after the Exodus from Egypt. The Church receives the wisdom and teaching of the Holy Spirit on the fiftieth day following Jesus’ exodus from the tomb.

Place yourself in the first reading. Imagine the drama of strong wind, the appearance of fiery tongues, and the shock of hearing a group of Galilean tradesmen speaking multiple languages as they preached the Good News of Jesus to all present from around the world.

Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is sometimes described as reversing the tower of Babel. That which had been linguistically separated through human pride was rejoined through Jesus’ obedience to the Father. That which had been shattered by hubris was reassembled after Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as He promised.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” He listed those gifts in the Letter to the Romans.Today we celebrate the giving of those gifts. Each of us receives unique ones in unique combinations. No person’s gifts are identical to those given to another.Our task throughout life is to discover and develop our unique gifts and to use them for the greater good. For some it is fashionable, to deny any kind of differences and distinctions, abilities and inabilities. This mode of thinking professes that there is no difference between truth and untruth.

The price is high for those who profess the truth. The risk of not hewing to or not teaching or preaching the narratives du jour may result in job loss, demands for public mea culpas, or cancellation, which is the American version of Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag. A few years ago Harrison Butker kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs gave a commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas. He called sin for what it is in regard to abortion, euthanasia, and a number of sexual irregularities. There were demands that he be fired, if not executed, immediately.

Denying differences and eliminating the consideration of strengths and weaknesses, is the sort of thinking that underlies DEI nonsense and fuels an artificial sense of specialness causing each individual or faction to insist that his, her, or the group's specialness must be recognized as the most special of all forms of specialness, even to having a day, week, or month dedicated to trumpeting that specialness, no matter how perverse or disordered. We are currently suffering through one of those “special” months.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not equally distributed. One of the most insidious lies we are told is that "You can be anything you want to be." No one can be anything he or she wants to be simply by wanting to be that thing, or, in current terminology, by identifying as it. We all have limits determined by genetics, anatomy, physiology, neural development, inherent talents, and intelligence. All strengths are balanced by weaknesses. Abilities are balanced by inabilities and disabilities. Potential in some areas is countered by a complete lack of potential in others. The only equality among humans is that we are sinners.

Comparing the accounts of Pentecost in Acts and John's Gospel may be confusing. The descent of the Holy Spirit in Acts was clearly fifty days after Jesus' resurrection and ten days after the Ascension, well, at least in some diocese. John described the descent of the Holy Spirit soon after the Resurrection while Jesus was present among the apostles. “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

There is no real need to balance the two accounts. As we heard yesterday, "There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written."

We cannot and must not isolate discrete moments, episodes, or descriptions from what is one single event; the event of Jesus' revelation of the Father. There is no discontinuity from the Incarnation to Pentecost no matter the gospel narratives meant for vastly different peoples. That the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit have been given to us is all we need to know. The logistics and metaphysics are not important. Our task is to cooperate with those gifts and graces in the manner to which each of us is called. Our mandate is to share the news of Jesus with those whom we meet in whatever language necessary.

Life now quiet on the BC campus. Graduation is over. There isn't much of a summer session here. Dorms closed. The Jesuit community is quite depopulated as some men from outside the U.S. have completed their degrees and have returned home, some are doing research, one or two are beginning sabbaticals, including one friend whom I am going to miss during the coming semester.

The photos are from Sevenhill, South Australia, the location of a retreat house and the place at which we made the long retreat during tertianship. Extraordinary location. The church was oriented such that the altar face directly east. At sunset in the west, the light was beautiful. Light is very different in Australia. I noticed soon after arriving that colors were more brilliant.

The stained glass was in crayola primary colors and non-figurative. I made a point of stopping in whenever possible after dinner to check out the light.