Homily for Pentecost – Cycle A – 12 June 2011
Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Acts 2:1-21 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 John 20:19-23
(Roman Catholic and Episcopal Lectionaries are approximately the same.)
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Acts 2:1-21 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 John 20:19-23
(Roman Catholic and Episcopal Lectionaries are approximately the same.)
Alleluia! Today is Pentecost! Today is the birthday of the Church! But, WE are the Church! This is OUR birthday! If it is our birthday, today we must be celebrating something very special – some point of unity that we all – regardless of denomination – have. And the point of unity is that we can all hear the Good News – each of us in our own language, each of us in our own heart. And we can be enkindled by this Good News!
On that first Pentecost, we (the Church beyond the area of Jerusalem) were finally able to hear that Jesus had worked with us (the local church) for quite a while – teaching us, preparing us to be enflamed by the Spirit. We did not understand. He told us that he would send the Spirit who would tell us everything we needed to know and who would help us in every way possible. And on that first Pentecost, the Spirit did indeed come, in tongues of fire, as we are told in Acts. And those who spoke could be understood by us (the new Church) in every imaginable language! This was amazing. What is it we hear?
In order to understand that, we first need to go back to the story of the Tower of Babel, Genesis 11:1-4. Using select phrases from this section, we see that, <
It is easy enough to say that the story of Babel is an excellent allegorical means of explaining the diversity of language in the world. And perhaps it is. But, it seems that Babel goes far beyond physical language. The people were no longer hearing the word of God. They were no longer able to understand one another –and perhaps no longer able to understand God.
Even though the people no longer understood God, God did not desert them. Shortly after the dispersion of languages, God called Abraham and Jewish history began. For the next 2000 years the preparations were underway to bring the people back together, to celebrate the common understanding. Jesus came and the unifying factor was put in place. We could again be one and we had the Good News of our salvation. And Jesus sent the Spirit, as he had promised.
At that first Pentecost, the Tower of Babel was reversed. The dispersion of languages was reversed and all could hear and understand the Good News. The Spirit came to bring the people back together and the gift of tongues – the multitudinous languages of the people – became the gift of hearing because all could hear and understand the message. If we look at those early gospel stories, we ought to be amazed at how we (the many people of back then) heard what Jesus was saying and what Jesus had said! There was no divergence of language there! Some will claim that many of the gospel numbers are exaggerations or symbolic in meaning. That may be partly true but it is hardly totally true! When it was time to go out to all people, the Spirit came so that the message could be heard in all languages and by all people. Look at how the early church grew! We, that Church, the People of God of 2000 years ago, heard that message – each in our own language, just as we hear it today.
The question then becomes, which voices do we hear now? And, now that we can each hear the words Jesus gave us, each in our own tongue – the Good News of our salvation, what are we going to do with it? Are we going to live that Good News as messaged by Jesus the Christ and confirmed by the Holy Spirit? Are we going to live as if each person we meet is Christ? Are we going to love as Christ has commanded us to love? Are we going to follow the statement of Francis of Assisi to “preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.”? Are we going to live this birthday celebration? Are we going to live this unity we have with all people? Are we going to live this understanding because we do know what we are saying. We have been given the gift of hearing! If we listen, we can hear our brothers and sisters. It is in hearing our brothers and sisters that we hear the continuation of the Good News. It is in hearing our brothers and sisters that we are enkindled by the Spirit to be the Good News to all we meet. In hearing our brothers and sisters, we can speak the words the Spirit enkindles within us – and all will understand.
Amid our birthday celebration, amid our joy over our unity, amid our excitement because all of us are able to hear and understand the Good News, certain problems still remain. Are we reverting to our own private Babels and putting bricks between God and the People of God? Are we creating the rules as if we know more than God? Are we extinguishing the tongues of fire that enkindles our spiritual drive? Are we making it so difficult for others of the People of God to hear and understand the Good News that they give up? Have we perhaps begun rebuilding the Tower of Babel? Let us plead with the Spirit to help us tear down our private Babels and to open our ears and our words so that the Spirit can be heard by us and can speak through us – so that each day is once more the birthday of the church within us. After all, we really are the church! --
Roberta M Meehan
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
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