Pentecost Sunday June 8, 2025

Readings: Acts 2:1-11 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23We celebrate this solemnity of 50 days after Easter as the fullness of Easter itself. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us any strength of faith that we may have.

In our first reading today, from the Acts of the Apostles, we begin to understand more clearly that although the followers of Jesus believed in Him, they still were afraid to teach Him publicly and to proclaim Him to all of the nations. They had to wait for this Holy Spirit to take hold of them and give them courage in the face of ridicule and rejection. Many of us are also shy about proclaiming our faith in the Lord Jesus. Perhaps today we can pray for this Spirit to come on us and to give us courage so that our faith simply becomes another aspect of us and we are no longer uneasy in talking about it.

The second reading, from the First Letter to the Corinthians, is clear that you and I and others form the one body of Christ in this world. Our gifts are different, one person from another. All of the gifts are need to continue the work of Christ in our world. How different our world looks when we begin to recognize that each person brings his or her own gifts and that we need those gifts to live in the fullness of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel today, from Saint John, tells us about the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is clear again that these early followers were cowering behind closed doors with a lot of fear. The coming of the Holy Spirit takes their fears away. These first followers seem to need peace, because that is the first greeting of the Lord to them: Peace be with you! May we know the peace of Jesus in our own lives! With peace comes the capacity to forgive the sins of others. This forgiveness is clearly a gift of the Lord who loves us. This gift is given to each of us individually and to the Church in her ordained ministers. Today we can rejoice in forgiving all who may ever have harmed us in any way whatsoever. And we can invite others to forgive us if we have ever harmed them in any way whatsoever.

At the heart of our Christian life, fear is taken away, peace and forgiveness are given. May we dispel the fears of others and proclaim the peace and forgiveness given to us in Christ Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit.                                      

      Fr. Terry.