Happy Pentecost! Pentecost celebrates the Holy Spirit. The Feast marks that special moment fifty days after the first Easter when the Spirit came down and landed on the apostles. This wasn’t the first time the Holy Spirit ever showed up - the Spirit was there “in the beginning,” moving over the waters of creation after all - but it is a particularly special moment for us in the Church. After the Resurrection, the disciples are not really sure what they should be doing, but on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down upon them, everything came together, and they were empowered to start sharing the Good News and building the Church.
The Holy Spirit is about life. In Hebrew, Greek, and Latin the word for spirit and the word for breath are the same. In the ancient story of creation, God breathed life into Adam, God gave him Spirit. Just as breathing is necessary for us to live physically, the Spirit is necessary for us to live spiritually. When the Spirit is mentioned in scripture, it is about giving life, about empowering, about liberating people from death and destruction. Living spiritually is about a life attuned to the life-giving divine action at work in this world. And it is about helping others do the same, allowing for the flourishing of all of humanity and creation.
Covid is a strange disease with many seemingly unrelated symptoms. One of the primary things that it attacks, however, is our respiratory system. For many, it is a life-threatening attack, requiring supplemental oxygen to survive. Covid has also attacked many of us spiritually, undermining our ability to gather and pray together, making it hard to receive the sacraments. God made us as social creatures. We are meant to be together. And we will be soon. In the meantime, remember that the Spirit is with us through it all. The Spirit is still drawing us together even as we are physically distant. For years, I have been holding you all in my prayers. This year, that practice of praying for you, the people of St. Mary’s, has been so much more important to me. I have felt your presence, your sorrows and your joys this year, as I have held you daily in prayer. That is the presence of the Spirit trying to help bind us together. Happy Pentecost!
