Pentecost

Pentecost

Why were the apostles waiting in this upstairs room? We know that they were waiting for a sign from Jesus as to what they should do next. And how do we think that they were feeling – excited, full of anticipation, eager, contemplative?

No – I think it is very clear that they were fearful. They were frightened. They were scared, possibly bordering on terrified of the Jews and the Romans who they felt were trying to find them and trying to find what they had done with Jesus’ body.

They were locked in; locked and closed away from everyone else and because of their fear – they were closed to God. They were shut off from him, his love and his guiding words. There were no exits from that upper room. No doors they could take that would lead them to safety, to understanding, to peace, to any sort of positive future.

And then came Jesus. And then came Jesus. He walked into their midst and said, “Peace be with you”. He calmed them and filled them with joy with just these simple words. He took away all of their fears, their terror and their feelings of intimidation and isolation. “Peace be with you.” And he breathed on them.

He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” And from that point, they were no longer locked in; they were no longer closed off from the world; they were no longer in a room that had no exists for them. No – instead, the world was open to them, open for them, available to them to wander into and now to speak with confidence. They were filled with the Holy Spirit; filled with confidence to speak of all that Jesus had taught them over the years. They were now able to go out into the world and engage with people, any people, all people; to engage with them in their own languages and on their own levels and offer them the Good News; to offer us the Good News.

They went from being a frightened, intimidated mixed group of rag-tag men into Jesus’ apostles; a group of people filled with the Holy Spirit; filled with joy and filled with confidence in the Lord’s message, wanting and eager to go out and speak to others and spread the Word.

We could leave this story there and it would be just that: an uplifting story; one that we could turn to when we are feeling a bit down for a bit of a ‘pick-me-up’ – and that’s it. But it isn’t it. It isn’t just a story for reference-sake.

This is us here and now. Pentecost is here and now. The gift of the Holy Spirit is here and now. The frightened, intimidated, scared people are here and now. It was the apostles then and it is us now. We are the ones keeping our heads down, not speaking aloud in public in case people look at us, point at us and shout at us. We are the ones staying away from church or only coming out for the minimum period. We are the ones intimidated by public opinion; unsure what to say and how to behave.

We are the ones waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit; waiting for guidance, for support, for direction; waiting to be told that it is okay; waiting for Jesus to say, “Peace be with you and receive the Holy Spirit.”

Well that time is today. That time is now. We received the Holy Spirit at our Baptisms and again at every time we received the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Forgiveness and again at our Confirmation.

And we celebrate this Holy Spirit today. We rejoice today in our gift from God, our gift from Jesus. We take his breath into our hearts and lungs and breathe with new strength, new hope and new confidence. Jesus is Lord. God is my Father and I am loved and I am saved.

We celebrate the Holy Spirit this weekend, as we should every day of our lives, as our life’s breath; our strength; our guide; our hope and our joy.

Bidding Prayers –

1.      We pray for peace across our troubled world that wherever there may be war and conflict, there my come a peace that transcends everything. Lord in your mercy

2.      We pray for all our Church and World leaders that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit to take actions that reflect love and concern for all the peoples they govern. Lord in your mercy

3.      We pray that the gift of the Holy Spirit may descend on all of us and give us the courage, the wisdom and the insight to know how to live lives that truly reflect God’s love alive in each one of us. Lord in your mercy

4.      We pray for all those in your parish who are sick or unwell in mind, in body or in spirit that they may grow with and through the Holy Spirit to better health. Lord in your mercy

5.      We pray for all who have died recently or whose anniversaries occur at this time that their souls and the souls of the faithful departed may rest in peace. Lord in your mercy

6.      We now spend a few moments to consider the prayers in our hearts and souls and offer these up to God through His Holy Spirit  . . . . . . .  . Lord in your mercy

7.      We ask Our Lady, the mother of our church and the mother of our Saviour to intercede for us as we now pray, Hail Mary