Making all one in Peace: the mission of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of Pentecost
Jesus said, SHALOM “’Peace be with you. ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, Jesus breathed on them and said to them ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
Have we forgotten that we have the Holy Spirit in us? Do we see one another as gift, as a vessel for the Holy Spirit—as sacred and holy? Do family members see sacredness in each other and speak words that are of loving respect? The work of the Holy Spirit—the light of Christ burns brightly in each of us. However, do we believe that?
It takes spiritual renewal and conscience awareness and effort to remind ourselves that we are made to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. That indwelling comes to us in Baptism and Confirmation—He enters our lives to actualize the individual gifts each one of us has been given, not for our own good, but for the good of others in our lives and world. When we cooperate with that grace to use our gifts for the good of others we find joy and peace.
The gift of the Spirit is at work in us as we eliminate evil deeds within families—sanctity of life begins at home with the ending of bickering and petty wars between relatives, ending hatred and jealousy, ending violence—in all its forms—must begin at home if we are to see peace and holiness throughout the world.
As we live the Holy Spirit in our daily lives we begin to see the life of all in our family as sacred and holy–we respect, protect and value the basics that give us life as sacred and holy—the air, water, the soil on this planet and one another.
God formed us all with identical elements that come together as human—yet with creative diversity. Another of the many lessons derived from the Holy Spirit and evident in our Pentecost readings is that diversity is unity in God.
The words in our reading today: “began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim”; (Ac 2:4) is a lesson line for us—God’s creative rich diversity is not bound to one language, one race, culture or creed for that matter. All are to hear the voice of God –and find hope and love in His diversity of the human family.
We are many, we are one—one family of God—sharing in and caring for the abundance that springs forth from the only planet—the only form of life we know. Yet, we easily forget our sameness as we focus on external differences and not the beauty that comes from the breath and Spirit of God.
When we breathe in Jesus Christ we turn to Him and see His presence in our families, our workplace, our church, in his many faces and races, and in all creation. When we live in His Holy Spirit we work to welcome all people as children of God, we rejoice in the sanctity of all life, and we strive to conserve the many gifts from our planet so that God’s legacy and heritage will live on for generations to come–the gift of Pentecost the gift in each one of us.
We are here because of the descent of the Holy Spirit at St. Helena Catholic Church over 149 years ago! We too celebrate how God has gathered us in together, here in this parish, this time in history, and united us to one another to rejoice in our God-created differences. We come together to pray for one another sharing God’s Word and Eucharist– His Real Presence—offers us hope, gives us a chance to remember what God has done for us in Jesus Christ—united in prayer.
Think about all the cultures in this Valley that have come to this sacred block; either the past church or this one. Praying in the many languages for the same things—help, peace in families, wellness, hope, seeking consolation, and love. In this parish filled with the Holy Spirit’s signs and wonders thousands upon thousands of lives with gifts of service and ministry, the gifts of prayers and cares for one another unite us. We need one another— for not one of us has all the gifts needed to minister or to address the needs of our church and school and the world around us.
Our beautiful parish diversity is an important contribution to the joy of church life for us, with our many cultural differences. Many of God’s cultural and racial differences come together as an amalgam called St. Helena Catholic Church and School.
The strength of our parish is not in the buildings or grounds, but in its people, sharing talents in many ways reflecting the breath-Spirit of Christ in our words of welcome and words of peace. Here we are embracing Pentecost and its meaning the founding of the Church for all people—all races and cultures and in many tongues that God has made. Live the Holy Spirit in you! Fr. Gordon