Give His light our personal refraction

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for the Feast of Pentecost are an exhortation to “Go beyond the mind you have…”.

Refraction of His Spirit

The passage from the Acts of the Apostles introduces a new action of God in the history of salvation.

* [2:2] There came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind: wind and spirit are associated in Jn 3:8. The sound of a great rush of wind would herald a new action of God in the history of salvation.

Psalm 104:29-30 is a connection of the wind of the Spirit to the life giving breath of God.

In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul uses the image of a body to explain Christ’s relationship with believers.

* [12:12–26] The image of a body is introduced to explain Christ’s relationship with believers (1 Cor 12:12). 1 Cor 12:13 applies this model to the church: by baptism all, despite diversity of ethnic or social origins, are integrated into one organism.

The Gospel from John recalls Gn 2:7, where God breathed on the first man and gave him life.

* [20:22] This action recalls Gn 2:7, where God breathed on the first man and gave him life; just as Adam’s life came from God, so now the disciples’ new spiritual life comes from Jesus. Cf. also the revivification of the dry bones in Ez 37. This is the author’s version of Pentecost. Cf. also the note on Jn 19:30.

Larry Gillick, S.J. prays that we may be more open to the Spirit’s creating of us.

Pentecost is a celebration of the fruitfulness of the land, blest by the sun and rain and “breath” of God. In the Christian community, we celebrate how the Spirit, “wind” of God has “in-spirited” human hearts to live “highly” of themselves. The work of the Spirit is that all creation and that includes human beings, radiate, in-flesh Jesus. As the Spirit came upon Mary whose womanhood gave him flesh, so that same Spirit hovers over our bodies that Jesus might take new flesh. We think highly of ourselves all right, but not full of air but Spirit, not totally Jesus yet, but the Spirit is not done with us.

Don Schwager shows the disciples needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission entrusted to them by Jesus.

Just as Jesus was anointed with the Spirit at the beginning of his ministry, so the disciples needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission entrusted to them by Jesus. The Holy Spirit is given to all who are baptized into Jesus Christ to enable us to live a new way of life - a life of love, peace, joy, and righteousness (Romans 14:17). The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the love of God (Romans 5:7), and he gives us the strength and courage we need in order to live as faith-filled disciples of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26), and enables us to grow in spiritual freedom - freedom from doubt, fear, and from slavery to our unruly desires (2 Corinthians 3:17; Romans 8:21). The Spirit instructs us in the ways of God, and guides us in living according to God's will. The Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. Isaiah foretold the seven-fold gifts that the Spirit would give: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).

The exhortation of the Word Among Us Meditation on John 20:19-23 is Jesus is sending us too, just as the Father sent him. He is breathing his Spirit into us, just as he did for his disciples. Embrace our mission today on this great feast of Pentecost. Embrace the Holy Spirit.

God had just sent Jesus back to you as a sign of his love and mercy. He has sent Jesus so that you can see what love looks and feels like. And now Jesus is sending you to do the same thing? How can you possibly show such love? How can you possibly be like Christ? Sensing your confusion, Jesus breathes on you: Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22)
Once more, your heart melts. Only this time, the feeling is more personal. The Holy Spirit is pouring God’s love and mercy into your heart. That’s how he is sending you out: forgiven, filled with his love, and equipped to share that love.

Bishop Robert Barron speaks on Christianity and Ethics  and challenges us to “Go beyond the mind you have…”.



Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, advises that often the very things that don’t appeal to us have the most to teach us spiritually. He notes that St. John Cassian (c. 360–c. 435) taught that the psalms carry in them “all the feelings of which human nature is capable.

In expressing all the complexities and contradictions of human experience, the psalms act as good psychologists. They defeat our tendency to try to be holy without being human first.

Our mission is to receive and show Life that witnesses to the Gifts of the Spirit.

References

(n.d.). Acts, chapter 2 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 20, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts2:117

(n.d.). 1 Corinthians 12. Retrieved May 20, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1corinthians12.htm

(n.d.). John, chapter 20 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 20, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/20:1

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved May 20, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). 7th Week of Easter - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations .... Retrieved May 20, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 20, 2018, from https://cac.org/richard-rohr/daily-meditations/daily-meditations-archive/