The Solemnity of Pentecost, Sunday, June 5, 2022

Acts 2, 1–11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

The Jewish feast of Pentecost, occurring fifty days after Passover, celebrates the giving of the Law, the Torah, by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.  He then brought the Law to the Hebrews, who were busy worshipping the golden calf they had made.  In his anger at seeing this, Moses smashed the tablets of the Law on the ground and destroyed the idol.  God later gave him new tablets of the Law, which were subsequently kept in the Ark of the Covenant.  It was at this feast that the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles.  They had already received the New Law from the Lord Jesus; now the Holy Spirit enlightens them so that they might fully understand and teach it.  While the Old Law was given to the unfaithful Hebrews, the New Law was given to the faithful adherents of Jesus Christ. 

The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles was signified in three ways: through the hurricane-force wind that swept through the house where they were praying, the tongues of fire over their heads, and the ability to speak various languages.  We could also discern a fourth sign: the courage to preach the word of God in public, in a place where the Lord Jesus had so recently been condemned and killed.  The wind shows the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of grace, which forgives sin and makes us reborn in Christ.The fire shows the zeal imparted to the Apostles by the Holy Spirit.  It also shows their new ability to speak in other languages:  both the English word “tongue” and the original Greek word have the secondary meaning of “language”.  The gift of languages is not a haphazard one: the Apostles are speaking the languages of those Jews visiting Jerusalem for the feast, for the purpose of preaching the word of God to them.

Almighty God gives us, at our births and in our rebirth through baptism, all the gifts and abilities we have.  All come from him.  All have for their purpose the preaching of the Gospel for the salvation of souls and for his greater glory.  He gives each of us exactly what he wants us to have and to use.  It is for us to understand what these are, to cultivate them, and to use them in whatever way we can, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, to do good upon the earth.  In this way, we make a great harvest for him.