Pentecost Sunday Year A- Reflections, Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo

Pentecost Sunday Year A: (Mass during the Day) Reflections- Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo
Readings: Acts 2:1-11; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Gal 5:16-25 and John 20:19-23 or John 15:26-27; 16:12-15

The Spirit of Peace and Renewal!

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost; the culmination of the Paschal mysteries of Jesus began on Ash Wednesday. It brings to completion the mission of Christ in the Church, who is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. After Easter it is the Second most important day in the life of the Church.  The paschal candle will be put off after the last Mass today. At the 10 or noon Masses some of our friends will receive the sacrament of confirmation.
Pentecost brings us the Holy Spirit, its gifts and fruits. It brings us the Spirit of joy and love; the sprit of patience and wisdom, the spirit of kindness and truth; the spirit of goodness, faithfulness and gentleness, the spirit of self-control and of peace (Gal 5:22). The same spirit in today’s Gospel that calms the fears of the fleeing disciples from the face of the torture and death of Christ (John 20:19-23).

 The First reading of today from Acts of the Apostle shows us one of the healing effects of the Feast of Pentecost.  Recall, Genesis chapter 11:1-9 human beings wanted to be like by constructing the tower of Babel which resulted in confusions and misunderstanding among human beings. With the Spirit of God true communication, understandings particularly of the universal mission of Christ are easily established among believers.
Think of how the message of Christ is being preached today on the same readings all over the world. Some times in different languages, like the POPE but the content of the message will be the same, peace, love, forgiveness and joy that the Spirit of God brings us at Pentecost- the universal mission of Jesus and oneness of Spirit.

I have recently being appointed or offered a full-time teaching position as an Asst. Professor of Sacred Scriptures at Sacred Heart School of Theology, in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee- the announcement will come very soon. Sometimes it is very hard to let go,  the fear of uncertainties or missing your trusted friends will be there- but we are strengthen when we contemplate the role of the Holy Spirit in the universal mission of the  one Church.

Even in our various gifts of persons, our body, our income, our voices, our tap-dancing legs, our singing voice, our listening abilities or our being able to be present for one another, name all the gifts that God has given us- we want to see and use them in the light of the “Same Spirit” of the Pentecost for the good of the community

We pray that the Holy Spirit  that comes to fill our hearts today  may also renew the face of the earth with love and peace  and generosity (Psalm 104:30).