Pentecost Sunday

ACTION! 
The Solemnity of Pentecost 

Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Corinthians 12: 3B-7, 12-13; John 20: 19-23 

“No man is an island” wrote British poet John Dunne. And that’s something that I’ve reflected on these past two and a half months living in my solitary confinement of the COVID-19 lockdown - we’re all connected, one life affects another life, one life contributes to who you are. 

And so, for example, my ability to tell a story well, that I get that from my dad. And my faith and my love for the Church and dedication to it, I get from my mom. But my ability to write and put a noun and a verb together, and maybe throw in an adjective for good measure to form a sentence that somehow makes sense, that I credit to the School Sisters of Notre Dame who were my teachers at St. Raphael’s School in East Meadow, NY. I’m eternally grateful to them for drilling in me such things as grammar, usage, vocabulary and spelling. 

I reflected on that education as I meditated on the word church this week as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the Birthday of the Church. And I chuckled to myself that I would probably scandalize those good sisters by what I’m about to say: Church is not a noun; Church is a verb, an action verb 

A noun is a word that identifies a person, place or thing. As a noun, the word church can have two meanings. As a common noun (church with a lower-case “c”) it refers to a building, a physical structure . . . the one we were used to going to every Sunday morning . . . the one we miss and so long to return to. But as a proper noun. Church (with a capital “C”) is an institution, an organization, a hierarchical structure. But the Church is so much more than that. As St. Paul reminds us in our Second Reading, the Church is a body, the Body of Christ. It is not passive It is not complacent. It is alive. It moves, it ministers, it teaches, it serves, it feeds, it heals, it reaches out, it touches. And all of those things are ACTIONS! 

Why is Pentecost considered the day on which the Church was born? Because on that day Jesus fulfilled his promise: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you . . . I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate* to be with you always . . . The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that told you.” (John 14: 16-18, 26). On that day, those 120 gathered in the Upper Room received everything they needed to be Church: a thunderous noise like a strong wind, like a tornado, came from the sky. And then flames appeared. Flames of fire appeared out of nowhere, spontaneously hovering in the air. And those flames divided up and started floating through the air until they came to rest on each of the people gathered. And the promised Spirit came upon them and both empowered and emboldened them. ACTION! 

But the Church was also born that day because it responded to the Spirit now within them. They rushed out into the street and became Church as they began to fulfill the mission Jesus gave it ten days before at his Ascension when he told the Apostles, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” They speak in tongues so the Good News they proclaim can be understood by all. They announce that God has indeed visited His people, and that the one they had crucified was risen. They announce that death no longer reigns supreme, and sin has no power to shackle people in slavery. They go forth to transform every human heart and mind. They go forth to invite everyone, Jew or Gentile, to drink of the one Spirit so that all may be one family in Christ. They go forth and baptize three thousand that day who responded to the power of their proclamation. ACTION! 

What about us? The same Spirit given to the 120 that day of Pentecost in that Upper Room in 33AD was also given to us on the day of our Baptism and strengthened within us the day of our Confirmation. And although those events were not accompanied by driving winds and tongues of fire, we too have become empowered and emboldened by the Spirit of the Living God to be Church – to be people of ACTION in the name of Jesus Christ. But like all gifts, the gift of the Holy Spirit can be received, but just collect dust on the closet shelf where we have stored it away. Or it can be unwrapped, unboxed, admired, appreciated and used. 

Here’s a question for you: Are you a proper noun or are you an action verb? Are you a member of the Church in name only? Or are you a member of the Church because the Spirit within you is a driving force that spurs you to hyperactivity. 

I believe there are seven actions that members of the Church, as Pentecost People, should be engaged in: 

First, we PRAY: A member of the Church is one who is in a constant dialogue with God. It is through dialogue that relationship is established, maintained and strengthened. And so, in prayer, we bring to God our joys, our sorrows, our needs, our hopes, And, in turn, God reveals his will to us, consoles us, guides us and strengths us. 

Second, we LISTEN: A member of the Church is an active listener. We listen the God’s revelation through his Word in Sacred Scripture. We listen to the teachings of the Magisterium of the Church, We listen to the still small voice of our conscience in discerning right from wrong, We listen to others: to the witness of their own faith – to be inspired by them. To their wisdom and advice – to learn from them. To their needs – to respond to them. To their sorrows – to console them. To their joys and successes – to celebrate with them. To their tragedies and failures – to encourage them. 

Third, we LEARN: A member of the Church engages in life-long learning. Not content with the instruction received as a child, the People of Pentecost seek to embrace the mystery of God through new eyes and ears through reading, adult bible study programs and online programs such as those offered on Formed.org. We also learn through an appreciation of those members of the Church who have walked the road of faith before us, the lives of the saints. 

Fourth, we LIVE: A member of the Church realizes that participation in the mystery of faith is not just to be expressed one hour a week in church (small “c”). You are a member of the Church (capital “C”) 24/7/365. It is a lived experience. And you demonstrate that by how you live you live your life, consciously following the example of Jesus Christ. 

Fifth, we LOVE: For a member of the Church, love is not an option or a pious suggestion. It’s a command and a demand - challenging, not always convenient. It costs – more than money – but also time and talent. It makes one vulnerable - It might not be returned or appreciated, perhaps not even recognized. It is directed towards those who are familiar and to those who are strangers, to those who are lovable, but especially to those who aren’t. 

Sixth, we PROCLAIM: We do as Peter did on the first Pentecost, we go out into the streets, into our living rooms, to our workplaces and proclaim Jesus Christ – Lord, Savior, God incarnate, crucified, resurrected. We share good news of glad tidings. We share that which we have found meaningful and transformational in our lives. We share it, as the Apostles did, in a “language” that will be understood by all. We shout it out by words and proclaim it through the example of our lives. 

And seventh, we SERVE: We feed the hungry, quench the thirst of the parched, cloth those who are naked, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, visit the stranger, bury the dead. We admonish the sinner, instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, comfort the afflicted, pray for the living and the dead. 

As we get ready to (hopefully) open our church (small “c”) in a few weeks, let’s pray for a new Pentecost in our Church (capital “C”). Let’s pray that, being so overjoyed with going to church, that we don’t forget to be Church – wind in our sails, fire in our heart, alive with the Spirit, empowered, emboldened, not content with being proper nouns, but energized to be verbs of ACTION. 

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, 

And in our hearts take up thy rest; 

Come with thy grace and heav'nly aid 

To fill the hearts which thou hast made, 

To fill the hearts which thou hast made.

Video Version