The key to understanding the celebration of Pentecost is realizing that we have the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at the depths of our being. The Holy Spirit is guiding the Church and we are the Church. The Holy Spirit is offering us the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus that he would always be with us. But we have to open our eyes to this promise. We have to believe that we truly are temples of the Spirit and that the Living God is within us. Even though we are sinners, God's love - the power of the Resurrection - breaks down barriers of pride and selfishness and uses our very nature to bring about the work of salvation in our daily lives. How holy we are! All of us, no matter what our differences and divisions, no matter our pasts, presents or futures, have the Holy Spirit. That is something to celebrate!
As we gather to celebrate the gift of the same Spirit that moved Jesus, may we allow ourselves to be overshadowed by the Spirit like Mary was. May the Incarnation continue in us! May we renew the depths of our being in the knowledge of the Spirit's presence in our lives and may that knowledge move us to renew our world, our Church, our city and our parish community. Jesus is in our midst, and in the Spirit we are his healing hands, his proclaiming voice and instruments of his life-giving love. We are the Body of Christ. With that in mind, let us go into our community to be broken, to be shared, to be consumed with living Christ's presence in our world; and to die and rise with the One who has given us of the Spirit.
Peace,
Shaun Lowery