“If being Christian were a crime ... would there be enough evidence to convict you?”  I read that rather disturbing question when I was a teenager, and it left enough of an impression that 30 years later, I still remember it.  Every so often, I even ask myself the question again!

This reminded me of another story I heard when in the seminary.  Two seminarians had just returned from a “Life in the Spirit” seminar offered by a local charismatic prayer group, and then went off to meet their bishop.  After exchanging the usual greetings and pleasantries, the two young men generously offered to pray over the bishop so that he too might receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Somewhat annoyed, the bishop answered:  “Young men, I already received the Holy Spirit at my baptism.  At my confirmation.  At my ordination as a deacon – and as a priest – and at my consecration as a bishop.” There followed a long pause.  Then gathering up every bit of courage he had, the younger seminarian asked, “Well, would it be all right if we prayed that it show a bit more?” 

Today, the Church celebrates its “birthday” with the feast of Pentecost.  It is a scene of great drama – rushing wind, tongues of fire, the uttering of many languages.  It is also a scene of inner transformation: timid disciples empowered to speak boldly, in a way that no matter what the religious, cultural, and linguistic differences, each hears the message in a language they can understand.   Such is the power of God’s Holy Spirit: to break down the walls of division and to create the unity that is the Father’s desire for all creation.  From the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Church is born – and reborn, in every age.

Sounds pretty exciting, doesn’t it?  A group of people with fire in their bellies and the wind beneath their wings, empowered to break down the boundaries of parochialism and prejudice with a spirit of courage and conviction, inclusiveness and welcome. 

But let’s be honest – when you think “Catholic Church” – is this your instant association?  Does the world look at us and see a community that has inherited this legacy of wind and fire?  Does the wind at our backs push us beyond our boundaries and borders to bring the Gospel to new peoples and situations?  Does the fire in our bellies inspire others to believe as well?  Certainly, the election of Pope Francis two years ago and the fresh air he has let into the church through his witness of joy, mercy, and Christian love has made a big difference.  But there’s still lots more work to do!!  

If not, then today is the day to make a new beginning.  God’s wind still blows, breathing life into us and filling our sails, propelling us into the future.  God’s fire still burns within us, purifying our hearts and enlightening our path.  When tempted to stay in the confines of our upper rooms, safely locking out any and all perceived threats, Jesus comes and stands among us, breathes his peace upon us, invites us to share in his joy.  He then invites each of us to share in his mission: to be bearers of peace and joy to all people, to break down the barriers of hatred and injustice and prejudice, to bear witness to his truth and love among all the nations. 

We cannot do this by sheer will power, pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, memorizing our Bibles and Catechisms till we know every chapter and verse, every question and answer.  We need the Holy Spirit.  The One described in the beautiful Pentecost sequence as “Wise Consoler, Welcome Guest, Sweet Refreshment, Cool Breeze, Shining Light, Indwelling Presence.”  The Spirit alone can “bend the stubborn heart and will, melt the frozen, warm the chill, guide the wayward home again.” The Spirit is revealed in an amazing diversity of gifts, reflected in a marvellous way in each culture and language and tradition – yet is always a unifying force, never a source of division or separation. 

How will we know that we are living according to the Spirit?  After all, we can’t be blazing flames and whirling windstorms all the time!!  It’s fascinating how in Biblical chronology, Luke associates the gift of the Holy Spirit with the Pentecost experience, fifty days after Jesus’ Resurrection, and the launching of the mission to the Gentiles.  Whereas for John, Jesus himself breathes forth the Spirit on the very evening of his rising from the dead, in a more intimate and personal contact, brining inner peace, joy, forgiveness, and healing.  Ultimately, there is no contradiction between the two texts; for the gift of the Holy Spirit was so great that it needed to be unfolded gradually, new aspects discovered, others appropriated as a deeper level as time went on. 

As the early Church grew and developed, so too did its understanding of how the Spirit self-manifested in the Church.  Writing to the Corinthians – a community plagued by divisions and infighting – Paul stresses the organic metaphor of the Body of Christ, with the Spirit as its animating and unifying principle.  There is a diversity of gifts, services, and activities – all necessary for the building up of the Church as Christ’s Body.  But the Spirit activates and unifies all these gifts, orienting them to the common good and shared mission of the community.   Writing later to the Galatians – a community pressured in different ways to enclose the freedom given by the Spirit within the rigid structure of obedience to every precept of the Law of Moses – Paul insists that justification comes not through minute observance of external rules and regulations, but a life lived in accordance with God’s Spirit, whose identifying “fruits” are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Many of us learned this prayer to the Holy Spirit in our youth.  But just imagine what might happen if we really prayed that prayer as if we meant it!  What would our Church look like if each of us was so consumed with the desire to be set aflame by this indwelling of God?  What kind of transformation might we witness – in our individual lives, in our parish community, in the world around us?  Pentecost is far more than a celebration of the Church's “birthday” as a remembrance of things past.  It is to experience anew the divine impulse that led to the birthing of the Church through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon ALL disciples: breaking down the boundaries of gender and race, culture and nationality, wealth and social status, age and power.   In the Spirit, each of us is called, gifted, transformed, and sent forth.  The Spirit is alive in you, in me, and in ways that extend far beyond the confines of the church.  The Spirit is so much greater than we can imagine!  

Here at St. Monica’s, we form a richly diverse community.  We come from many lands, we speak different languages, we express our faith in a variety of devotions and spiritualities.  Yet in the Spirit, gathered around the Lord’s table, we truly form One Body.  This year, as we have sought to grow in the practice of “living sacramentally”, we have had occasion to embrace more deeply the vocation we all share as baptized and confirmed Catholics, nourished by the Eucharist to live as the Body of Christ in the world. With joy, we welcomed 23 young people to the table in Holy Communion, and 38 more to the fullness of the Spirit’s gifts in Confirmation.  Fr. Gerry Westphal preached on the importance of listening, discerning, and responding to God’s call to holiness and mission, and witnessed to his call as a priest. 

Next Sunday, at the 11:00 Mass, we honour all those who have given themselves generously to service to the Lord and his people in the many forms of consecrated life.  Twelve couples are completing their participation in the ALPHA marriage-enrichment seminar and will be celebrated, along with all other couples, on the weekend of June 6-7.  Finally, on Sunday June 14^th from 2:00-4:00 p.m., we will gather in appreciation of the many volunteers who, in a wide variety of ministries, share their gifts with competence and generosity to make our community stronger.  We are blessed by so many gifts of the Spirit, by so much generosity of response!

Our Mother-tongue Is Love; A Sonnet for Pentecost (Malcolm Guite)

Today we feel the wind beneath our wings
Today the hidden fountain flows and plays
Today the church draws breath at last and sings
As every flame becomes a Tongue of praise.
This is the feast of fire, air, and water
Poured out and breathed and kindled into earth.
The earth herself awakens to her maker
And is translated out of death to birth.
The right words come today in their right order
And every word spells freedom and release
Today the gospel crosses every border
All tongues are loosened by the Prince of Peace
Today the lost are found in His translation.
Whose mother-tongue is Love, in every nation.