Daily Catholic Lectio
Sun, 19 May 2024
Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-11. Galatians 5:16-25. John15:26-27, 16:12-15
Send out your Spirit!
An elderly man went to visit a Zen monastery. As he entered, he saw two young men in meditation. He asked one of them, ‘What are you doing?’ The young man answered, ‘I am meditating.’ ‘What is that about?’, the elderly person interrogated. The young man said, “I observe my breath. My breath alone is true. It has been with me from birth to death. And once it goes away from me, I become extinct. It has been with us in our sorrow and joy when we are asleep and awake. When I become angry, the breath gets boiled; when I am anxious and preoccupied, the breath becomes unstable. Being and becoming conscious of the internal breath is the starting point of Zen.”
#
According to the first creation narrative (cf. Gen 1) of the Bible, the Spirit was hovering over the waters (cf. 1:1). As per the second creation narrative, the Lord God makes the man out of the clay and blows his breath into his nostrils” (cf. 2:7). The entire world and humanity come into being because of the breath or the Spirit of God.
Today we are celebrating this Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit whom we celebrate today, was poured on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, the feast of Weeks. Today is the birthday of our Church. The spirit gave life to the apostles. They are totally transformed by the Pentecostal experiences.
Luke, who records the outpouring of the Spirit on Mary and the apostles through visual and auditory metaphors (first reading). The people can ‘see’ the tongues of fire, and they can ‘hear’ the wind. The Holy Spirit makes an impact both on the apostles and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They heard the message in their own tongues. The Holy Spirit both makes the apostles speak, and the inhabitants understand. This is the first transformation of Pentecost.
In the second reading, Paul writes to the Church in Galatia, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Paul makes a difference between ‘walking by the spirit’ and ‘living in the flesh.’
In Judges 14, the Spirit pushes Samson to action. Anyone who is engulfed by the Spirit cannot but act. Mary, after being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, rushes to meet Elizabeth, her cousin.
Paul, making a list of virtues and vices, invites his audience to embrace the Spirit and life.
The Holy Spirit is actively present in each one of us. Often, we forget him. When Apollos and Paul asked the people of Ephesus whether they had received the Holy Spirit, they confessed that they had not even heard that such a person existed. The Holy Spirit is often the most forgotten person of the Holy Trinity.
How is the Holy Spirit relating to us today?
(a) Holy Spirit is our inner voice
The Lord God says to the people of Israel, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”’ (Isa 30:21). The Holy Spirit is our inner voice. He lets us walk the right path.
(b) Holy Spirit is our helper
Jesus says to his disciples (Gospel Reading) that the Holy Spirit will guide us to the truth. The Holy Spirit is the one who accompanies, and protects us.
(c) Holy Spirit is the life
When we work according to the flesh, we begin to die. Choosing the flesh is easy, but choosing the Spirit is not so easy. But choosing the Spirit leads us to a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
In the responsorial psalm (cf. Ps 104), the Psalmist prays that God renews everything through his Spirit.
May we allow the Spirit of God to be our guide and comfort.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
# Be M.er.cy.Fool
Yesu Karunanidhi 
Leave a comment