Hello, I'm Jeff Cavins and today we're looking at the readings for Pentecost Sunday,
you know that Sunday where a lot of people are wearing red. You might ask yourself the question,
"Why are they wearing red?" Well, red is
significant when it comes to the flame of the Holy Spirit,
which is something we see on the day of Pentecost. A couple of things about this very very special
Sunday in our calendar. Number one, you're gonna notice some different kinds of readings. You're gonna be
hearing readings from the New Testament, and this comes from the very beginning of the
Acts of the Apostles, verse 3. "To them Jesus presented himself alive after
his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking of the kingdom of God.
The forty days after Easter are known in the Church as the days of mystagogy.
It's the time where we learn about the kingdom of God and the readings are
specifically geared towards the neophyte, for those who have just come into the Church.
The Church feels that it's important that they learn about the king and his kingdom
and that's something that we all need to go back to. We all need a remedial education
when it comes to the kingdom because that's what our life is all about, following Jesus
in his kingdom.
And we are subjects of the king and we are out there telling people about his marvelous kingdom,
and we are fulfilling his will in the world today, so the readings are a little bit different.
We also see something powerful taking place here, the promise of the Holy Spirit coming to the the early Church and
filling them with power, and we see kind of the plan of expansion of the Church after the Holy Spirit
comes upon them. In chapter one of the Acts of the Apostles, verse six, "So when they had come together,
They asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has fixed by his own authority.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Now we know here in chapter two—we have the actual day of Pentecost that takes place here—in
chapter two the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. In chapter one we hear about the mystagogy
and we hear about them in Jerusalem, and this promise of the Father.
They're going to receive power. Now that word "power" is the word "dunamis", where we get the word
dynamite, power. And the gospel is going to spread from Jerusalem,
and then it's going to go up to Judea and Samaria, and then it's going to go to the uttermost
parts of the world, but the only way that it's going to happen is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now on the day of Pentecost something very special happens when the Holy Spirit comes upon them.
There's a manifestation with the tongues of fire and they begin speaking in other
languages. The result of this is that they go out in power and they become authentic witnesses of Jesus.
Now you might say, "Well, that would have been really neat to be back there 2,000 years ago."
Well guess what? You get to be back there. When it comes to our experience of Pentecost we look to confirmation
After we're baptized
we are confirmed, which is the completion of the work of the Holy Spirit in our life empowering us to be witnesses.
But caution
this
beautiful beautiful sacrament of confirmation
oftentimes is relegated to simply a phase in life, a stage in life that we go through in the Church.
And how many young people today will be confirmed but not know exactly what is happening?
When we are confirmed we're filled with the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit completes the graces of
baptism and
really empowers us to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
The only way that the gospel can go from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth is
simply by the power of the Holy Spirit.
If we will proclaim the message of Jesus, God will confirm that message with signs and
wonders; and signs and wonders gain the attention of the crowd, once again, that lives are changing and we'll be able to give an explanation
based on the miracle that they have witnessed.
And that miracle may be a healing. That miracle may be someone rising from the dead. That miracle may be
your life of peace and joy, a
transformation that's taken place in your own life by the power of Jesus.
And so the readings this week are very very important especially for
the neophytes, those who have come into the Church. And, by the way, welcome to all those who came in during Easter. And
now what we're going to do is we're going to begin to walk in the kingdom in his power
and he's going to confirm that proclamation
with signs and
wonders. You see,
we are created to be people of signs and wonders, and people will look at us in awe and
wonder, "Hmm. What makes those people tick?" And I'm reminded of what St.
Peter said, "We should always be ready to give an account for that hope that is within us.
Neophytes, welcome to the Church.