Fifty days after the Passover, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples with great power and so began the mission of the Church.
St. Luke tells us in Acts that the Spirit filled the house where the disciples were gathered like a rushing wind, alighting on their heads as tongues of fire. Wind and fire, ancient mystical signs of the creative life giving power or energy of God and of his presence
Wind, think of the Spirit hovering over the waters of creation, breathing life into clay of Adam, animating Ezekiel's dry bones. Fire, from which God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and led Israel through the wilderness by night, fire which fell upon Horeb to the dismay of the heathen priests.
Wind and fire, the creative energy of God and the burning love of his presence, with this the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples at Pentecost with power. Lo and behold, but was the date of descent significant in itself? Surely yes.
The Jewish Feast of Pentecost was and is a celebration of two things, thanksgiving for the early harvest, and a celebration of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. The giving of the Law by God himself, signified by the fire which enveloped the summit of the mountain on which he stood, his presence proclaimed by a trumpet call blown by the the divine breath. Yet again, the wind and fire of the Spirit.
This Pentecost, the Pentecost of the Upper Room, is therefore a new Sinai, a new giving of the Law, the new Law of Divine Love, engraved this time upon the human heart instead of stone. Filled, then, with an ecstasy of Divine Love, the disciples proclaim the Good News of salvation in Christ, they begin to reap the harvest, the harvest of souls for eternal life. So, the ancient Feast is gloriously recapitulated and fulfilled. It is so miraculously.
Devout Jews from every nation, gathered together for the Feast, hear the universal language of the Gospel, each in their own tongue and with that the curse of Babel is lifted. As man blasphemously attempted to scale heaven, only to be struck down in confusion and discord, so now God descends to earth, uniting us to himself and to each other in the Word of Truth.
Yes indeed, a harvest, and we read that some 3000 souls were converted on that day, and it didn't stop there. The Apostles went on to the ends of the then known earth, bringing souls to salvation, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Their successors, Bishops, Priests, Deacons and the faithful people of God do so today and this will continue to the close of the age. And let me tell you this.
Those who go against the Holy Spirit, against Truth Himself, will be relentlessly destroyed by that same Spirit. Then again, those who side with the Spirit will have life and truth and freedom and all that's good.
Your Call,
LSP
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And via Robin Ward:
