Jesus is a historical character. He lived in a specific place at a specific time and did specific things. You can use the tools of history, archeology, anthropology to study him. However, Jesus is not simply a historical character. There are aspects of his identity which are beyond our ken. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever, according to the Bible. In him we live and move and have our being, St. Paul said. He is with us from now until the end of time, according to his promise. Jesus can belong both in past history and in our present tense reality because of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, who collapses the strictures of time and space to create an eternal now. Because of the Holy Spirit when we listen to the readings from the Bible we are not recalling the past but in fact hearing the Word of God spoken to us in a personal way. Because of the Holy Spirit as we gather around the table of the Lord and break the bread and share the cup Jesus is really present with us just as he was with Peter, Andrew, Mary Magdalene and Salome. Because of the Holy Spirit whenever two or three believers gather in the name of Jesus he is there in the midst. We have a direct and personal relationship with Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit who has been breathed into our being.
That was the gift that Jesus gave to those initial followers locked away in the upper room on evening of the first Easter. “He breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In receiving the Holy Spirit they discovered that the Jesus who walked the dusty roads of Galilee would continue to be with them in a manner which could never be taken away, a new and spiritual way. Those early disciples have handed on that legacy to us. We too have received the Holy Spirit – at our baptism, at confirmation, at personal prayer, at communion. Since we have the Holy Spirit of Jesus we know that he walks with us in every step we take, every move we make. There are times when we feel the presence of the Holy Spirit more than others. Perhaps when we have made an important decision we feel guided by the Spirit. Or maybe at a moment of great joy when a child is born or a friendship restored you become aware of the presence of the Spirit. But at all times, even when we don’t feel it, the Spirit is at our side – when we get in the car, when we shop in the store, when we watch the TV, when we eat a good meal the Spirit of Jesus is our constant companion and guide.
But did you notice that, according to the gospel account, having the Holy Spirit is not for our own consolation, our own individual well-being. Rather, the Holy Spirit “like a strong, driving wind,” is about moving, about power, about strength, about tongues of fire, about passion. Jesus said in bestowing the Holy Spirit, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The reason Jesus companions his followers, companions you and me, is so that we will share in his mission – his mission of bringing peace, of bringing healing, of bringing mercy into our bruised and tattered world. Our task on this Pentecost Sunday is to let the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus, send to spread the good news that God is a Chicago thing, a 2018 thing, my thing.
The Bible provides some guidance on how those who are sent are supposed to act. Did you notice that the first thing, the very first thing, that Jesus said after breathing on those disciples and giving them the Holy Spirit was that they were in the forgiveness business. “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” The forgiveness business is not an easy one to be in. Forgiving is costly, forgiving can make it seem that your pain didn’t matter, forgiving makes you vulnerable to be hurt again, forgiving creates expectations that we don’t feel we can meet. But it seems clear that when Jesus sends us out to continue the mission he received from his Heavenly Father, he expects us to begin by forgiving. It’s kind of like clearing the garden of last year’s dead stalks so that you can plant new flowers. Happily, we don’t have to forgive out of our own will power. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to forgive. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is what makes forgiveness possible.
Once we have forgiven, cleared the stubble, pulled up the weeds, prepared the ground, we are ready to plant the flowers, that is to say, to spread the good news. Obviously we each are sent to do it in our own way. St. Paul reminds us that there are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit who produces all of them in everyone. Filled with the Spirit we are sent to play our part. Some will talk about their faith to those seeking answers in their lives. Others will demonstrate their faith in service to those in need. Still others will testify to their faith by how they live their lives. Then there are those who witness to the faith by remaining constant even in the midst of many trials and tribulations. And we also have the example of St. Therese of Lisieux who understood that her way was simply to love. Our homework for the week is to find how in the providence of our daily life we can bring good news. For, as St. Peter discovered on that first Pentecost, people can only hear us when we are speaking in a way they can understand. The way of witness, the way of service, the way of constancy, the way of love – these are the diverse tongues that will speak of the mighty acts of God today. The Holy Spirit sends us to bring Jesus into our homes, our neighborhoods, yes, to the ends of the world.
