A scene from Pentecost is depicted in a stained-glass window at St Therese of Lisieux Church in Montauk, New York. Photo: Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island Catholic The Sunday Gospel
Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap.
May I begin by wishing us all a very happy birthday. It is the birthday of the Church, the day when the coming of the Holy Spirit utterly transformed the apostles from being fearful and directionless into a community empowered to carry on the mission of Jesus. Jesus had promised them: “When the Advocate comes, whom I shall send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses.”
On Pentecost day when the Holy Spirit came down to the disciples, it began with a powerful wind that rocked the house. This wind recalled the breath of God hovering over the chaos in the biblical account of creation. Then came tongues of fire, coming to rest on each of them. Fire is an agent of light, heat, purification and transformation. The apostles became people transformed. Their tongues were now so inflamed with God’s word that people from a multitude of nations could understand them in their own language.
Two hands of God
St Irenaeus, who as a child had known the evangelist John, became a very important theologian who developed the message of the Gospels in response to questions that had arisen. While meditating on the parable of the prodigal son, he visualised the two hands of the father welcoming back his lost son. One hand in front of the son was visible, while the other hand, behind the son’s back, could not be seen. The visible hand represents Jesus Christ who came to us in human form. The unseen hand represents the Holy Spirit, the unseen power of love drawing the son back into the embrace of family love.
How the Spirit is seen
Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus compared the Spirit to the wind which cannot be seen in itself though it is recognised in its effects, the slanting of smoke, clouds scudding overhead, the pointing of flags. While the Holy Spirit is not seen, the effects of the Spirit are clearly discernible. In the second reading at Mass today, St Paul contrasts the life of self-indulgence with the qualities of a life inspired by the Spirit. A great temptation is to replace the one, true God by making a god of me…becoming totally self-indulgent. The fruits of self-indulgence are clearly seen in sexual irresponsibility, orgies, arguments, bad temper, quarrels, disregard of the rights of others, abuse of drink, jealousy, etc. Not the sort of society that any sensible person would desire.
Fruits of the Spirit
In contrast to self-indulgence, St. Paul then lists nine beautiful fruits which adorn a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. The nine fruits may be seen as three qualities of a healthy relationship with God, three about our relationship with other people and finally, three virtues supporting inner personal strength.
The three fruits of a relationship with God are love, joy and peace. Love, in its manifold expressions, is the greatest sign of a healthy relationship with God. Great charisms without love are empty, according to Paul. St John tells us that God is love and whoever lives in love lives in God and God lives in that person.
Joy is the second fruit of Spirit. Pope Francis continually reminds us of the joy of the Gospel and the harm done by doom and gloom religion, seen on sourpuss faces. In contrast, he writes that Jesus wants evangelisers who proclaim the good news not only with words, but above all by a life transformed by God’s presence. Pope Francis urges us to allow yourself to be loved and liberated by God. There is the key to joy in the Spirit.
Next comes peace, an inner strength drawn from the confidence that God is still in charge, that he has the whole world in his hands.
Paul then mentions three virtues which manifest Christ-like relationships with other people: patience, kindness and goodness. Patience is a strength to remain calm with somebody who is making life difficult. Kindness helps one to overcome selfishness by being generous in thought, word and action. Inner goodness enables one to focus on what is good in somebody rather than what is bad. As the poet Frederick Langbridge put it:
“Two men look out through the same bars:
One sees the mud, and one the stars.”
The third trio of virtues support inner personal strength: trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. Trustfulness can be described as an inner backbone which continues to support a person with hope, even when the going is very tough. Gentleness is the antidote to violence. It begins in being gentle with oneself. In some religious communities this virtue is promoted by learning how to close a door. Gentleness needs to be nurtured. This leads towards the ninth fruit of the Spirit, self-control. At this stage of maturity, self-control is really Spirit-control.
Most of the prayers and hymns to the Holy Spirit invite the Spirit to come: to come to the whole Church and to ourselves as individuals. Words of prayer have to backed up with action. So, we pray.
Come Holy Spirit, renew the heart of the Church, renew the face of the earth and enkindle within us the fire of your love.
Silvester O’Flynn has recently published a book Gospel Reflections and Prayers (Columba Books)