Homily: Solemnity of Pentecost – Cycle B
In
his 2020 essay, From Christendom to
Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age, Monsignor John
Shea, President of the University of Mary in North Dakota, makes the case that
is all but obvious to us here today: that Western culture has moved away from
its Christian foundations, leaving the Church in a place in which it must
re-imagine its apostolic mission. In it
he argues that the Church must re-discover (and re-deploy) the apostolic zeal
of the first Apostles. In many ways,
Monsignor Shea is repackaging (and I don’t mean this in a negative way) the
message of the Popes since the Second Vatican Council, who called for a “new
evangelization” to propose the Gospel anew to a culture that seems to have
forgotten it.
I
mention this today, on this great feast of the Holy Spirit, because in both the
first apostolic age and this one in which we now find ourselves, the Holy
Spirit is the protagonist of this apostolic mission. As we’ve seen in our readings throughout this
Easter season, the 11 (eventually restored to 12 once Matthias was elected)
remained apart, rejoicing in the resurrection appearances of Jesus, but not yet
taking this message to the world. When
the Holy Spirit descended upon them, however, they immediately began their
apostolic mission to evangelize the world, starting with the Jews gathered from
around the world in Jerusalem on the feast of Pentecost.
At
every step of the way, we see how the apostolic mission was marked by the Holy
Spirit. In fact, at critical moments, it
was the appearance of the Holy Spirit that confirmed for the Apostles the next
steps they would take. For example, when
Peter explains to the others that the Holy Spirit had descended upon the
Centurion Cornelius and those of his household, all were amazed and then
submitted to the idea that salvation in Jesus was available to all, not just
the ancestors of God’s chosen people. It
was the Holy Spirit who carried Philip to the Ethiopian Eunuch so that he might
explain the scriptures to him and then lead him to the baptismal waters. It was the Holy Spirit who directed Paul on
his apostolic journeys, which drove the spreading of the Gospel far beyond the
bounds of the Ancient Near East. In
every age, the Holy Spirit is a critical unifying and sustaining force. In an apostolic age, however, the Holy Spirit
is also the necessary driving force.
Okay,
if we are truly in an apostolic age (we are) and if the Holy Spirit is the
necessary driving force in this age (he is), the question in front of us is, “What
is the Holy Spirit asking of us now?”
My
dear friends, it would be absurd for me to suggest that the Holy Spirit is
asking you to give up your family lives to be itinerant missionaries, going from
place to place to preach the Gospel, relying solely on the generosity of those
to whom you preach to provide for your needs.
(I can see the terror in your eyes at the mere thought of it!) Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is asking
something of you in this age. So what
might that be?
At
first, I can certainly say (because it is common to all of us) that the Holy
Spirit is asking for a radical openness to his working in your lives. For you, perhaps this means a deeper openness
to the prophetic work of the Spirit working in you through companionship and accompaniment
of others. For example, St. Peter of Betancourt
(Saint Brother Peter) became a prophet, in a way, through his radical openness
to the Spirit, whose presence in him led him to radical accompaniment of the poor
sick and disabled of Antigua, Guatemala. Perhaps the Spirit has chosen one of you to be
a prophet through whom he will accompany others in their suffering, showing
them the love of Jesus. Perhaps this is
already happening… I certainly don’t know!
And perhaps this is not at all what he has planned for you, but the
point is that, without a radical openness to the Holy Spirit, there’s no way of
knowing for sure how the Spirit is calling you to take part in this apostolic
age.
One
positive example that is manifest, however, is in the Cursillo movement that is
active and rapidly growing in the Hispanic communities in our diocese. For those of you who are Cursillistas, you’ll
know that the core principle of the movement is one of accompaniment, epitomized
in the motto: “Make a friend. Be a friend. Bring a friend to Christ.” This type of openness is risky. It makes you vulnerable to be hurt by those
you seek to accompany. Nevertheless, it
is an openness many of you have embraced, as is evidenced by ongoing growth in
this movement.
With
the change in leadership here in your parish, there is an opportunity for even
greater outreach and accompaniment. Collaborating
with your new pastor, and open to the Spirit, will you be called to make this
parish a brighter beacon of light to those who have been living too long in darkness…
to those in need of radical healing in the Spirit… and to those who need to
know that God has not abandoned them? On
this great feast of the Holy Spirit, I invite you to reflect on and share with
each other the new gifts that this radical openness has brought and is bringing
to this community and to each of you so as to give thanks to the one who made
it possible and to be inspired to continued openness in the future.
And
all this is what has been revealed to us in the Scriptures, no? In the Gospel, Jesus assures his disciples
that the Father will send the Advocate who will keep us in the truth, which of
course is the way of the Gospel that we are all called to live in our particular
circumstances. And Saint Paul reminds us
that “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some
benefit”. Thus, we can confidently open
ourselves to the Spirit: trusting that he will produce some benefit through us
for the good of all (however obvious or hidden that might be).
Dear
friends, the Spirit of God is within us and among us to drive us forward in
this apostolic age. Let us, therefore,
surrender ourselves to the Spirit and, like the first Apostles, watch in
amazement how God works wonders in and through each of us. And, as we approach this altar, let us give
thanks to God for his unfathomable mercy—who lowered himself to live as one of
us, who suffered and died in order to redeem us, and who rose again so that we,
in our humanity, might rise with him into eternal life—so that the work of his Spirit
in us might always give glory to him, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who
lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Alleluia!
Given in Spanish at St. Joseph Parish: Rochester, IN – May 19th,
2024
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