From the Very Beginning

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 Deacon Tom writes ©

From the Very Beginning

The Feast of Pentecost, Year B

Christ’s gift of the Holy Spirit to his disciples on today’s Feast of Pentecost completes Christ’s Pascal Mystery. The Trinity is completely revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We celebrate the dawning of a new era as the Church is born and receives the Holy Spirit as its guide and source of wisdom in order to lead and watch over the people of God until Christ comes again.

The Holy Spirit's mission within the church began on that first Pentecost, but it is not as if the Spirit of God has been sitting on the sidelines with nothing to do up until then. Since the  very beginning of time the Holy Spirit has been busy at work in our world. Here are some of the accomplishments of the Holy Spirit:

In the opening words of the Book of Genesis, 1:2 we find a “Mighty Wind, that is the Holy Spirit, sweeping over the formless wasteland, bringing order out of chaos, generating the creative process that formed the universe and filled our world with life.

In Genesis 1:26 the Spirit gives life to the dust from which we are all made and shares his very divine image with us as is written, “ Let us make man in our image and likeness”.

In the Book of Wisdom the Holy Spirit is personified as wisdom itself. In Wisdom 9:9 we read, “ Now with you is Wisdom, who knows your works and was present when you made the world; Who understands what is pleasing in your eyes and what is conformable with your commands”. Verse 11 continues… “For she (Wisdom) knows and understands all things, and will guide me discreetly in my affairs and safeguard me by her glory”.

The Holy Spirit is the Wisdom of God that is evident in all creation. We know from all of our teachings that God is faithful to his promises, and he has promised to send his Spirit to all who ask him to do so. And so, we wait for the Holy Spirit to continue the work Jesus told us the Spirit of God would do when he arrives...  "But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming" (John 16:13).  And so, on this Pentecost, at this time when people around our world are in such dire straits and in such need of God's Truth, it is fitting to raise our minds and hearts and voices to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives to guide and protect us and to give us, and those who rule over us, the Wisdom of God by praying:

Come Holy Spirit

Fill the Hearts of your faithful

And kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit

And we shall be created

And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom