Pentecost 2022

There are two needs for mission: (1) delegation or being sent, and (2) empowerment, equipping, authority. Jesus does both for the Church, and Pentecost finds them waiting, for on that day the "starting gun" went off and they burst forth speaking God's praises in foreign languages to the foreign peoples gathered in Jerusalem. Our job is to realize that missions and empowerment are various, to discern the mission we have, and then to carry it out when God gives the signal.

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Title

Sent and Empowered

Outline

Whether it be a Nuncio from the Pope, an ambassador from the President, [or a Sister carrying out the humblest mission] {or a Christian carrying out a mission for the Church, including the Domestic Church}, there are two needs:

First, the person must be delegated, that is sent. These are not things that one does on their own.

Second, the person must be empowered, that is, trained, equipped, given authority, or otherwise made able to carry out the mission.

These are the meanings of Pentecost

The Church was delegated and is redelegated (if that is a word) after the resurrection

Jesus meets them, including the 11 official delegates, and speaks peace. But then he says that the delegated Church, the mission is still on: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” That is why in Acts the Church is waiting in the upper room, for they are like runners in the starting blocks, waiting for the signal to spring forward.

The Church is also empowered

After Jesus sent them, he “breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” While we read that as the special authority of the confessional, it is also the authority of the gospel, for sharing one’s joy in Christ draws others to repentance and forgiveness

We see it grammatically in the Upper Room: the fire falls, they realize that the starter pistol has gone off, the spill into the street speaking languages foreign to them, and there, by divine design were Jews and seekers from around the known world come to Jerusalem for a religious festival who hear the praises of God spoken in their heart languages by folk whose dress and accent shows they are Galileans. The 120 did not need to ask if they were empowered; they knew they were empowered.

[Brothers and] Sisters, Pentecost is not the birth of the Church, but the sending of the Church

And Pentecost continues today

All the baptized are baptized in that same Holy Spirit: “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.” This Spirit-filling is strengthened in confirmation. But the problem is that confirmed or not, too many Christians do not realize that they have authority for their mission and have the power to carry it out - they fail to draw on the power they have.

Part of the problem is that too many do not realize they have a mission because they do not have this or that mission: they think that they have to be a priest or a religious, or if a priest or religious they think that they have to be a missionary of some type.

The fact is that there are different forms of gifting to fit different forms of mission: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”

Our job is to believe this ask God to give us eyes for our mission and then request the empowerment to carry it out. [I realize that you Sisters often receive your mission from Superiors, so the task may be more to accept that the task is to trust that God has empowered and will empower you to fulfill it. At the same time, realize that you formal mission may not be the only mission God has sent you on - you may be on mission in the grocery store or on the university campus or in the lounge with other teachers.] {I realize that some of you forget that you mission may be living out the domestic church well before the world or doing your job as before the Lord and not as before people or helping a person having problems in the grocery store - God is very creative in his mission.}

And then, when the starting pistol goes off, whether loudly as on Pentecost or quietly in our own hearts, we need to obey promptly as Mary did in her great “yes.”

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 6-5-2022: Pentecost

FIRST READING

Acts 2:1–11

1 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. 2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. 3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. 6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, 11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

Catholic Daily Readings 6-5-2022: Pentecost

RESPONSE

Psalm 104:30

30 Send forth your spirit, they are created

and you renew the face of the earth.

PSALM

Psalm 104:1, 24, 29–31, 34

1 Bless the LORD, my soul!

LORD, my God, you are great indeed!

You are clothed with majesty and splendor,

24 How varied are your works, LORD!

In wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

29 When you hide your face, they panic.

Take away their breath, they perish

and return to the dust.

30 Send forth your spirit, they are created

and you renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;

may the LORD be glad in his works!

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him;

I will rejoice in the LORD.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-5-2022: Pentecost

SECOND READING

Option A

1 Corinthians 12:3b–7, 12–13

3 Therefore, I tell you that nobody speaking by the spirit of God says, “Jesus be accursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the holy Spirit.

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

12 As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Catholic Daily Readings 6-5-2022: Pentecost

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Text

GOSPEL

Option A

John 20:19–23

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. 23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 6-5-2022: Pentecost

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | EASTER

PENTECOST

YEAR C | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Acts 2:1–11

Response Psalm 104:30

Psalm Psalm 104:1, 24, 29–31, 34

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 12:3b–7, 12–13 or Romans 8:8–17

Gospel Acclamation Text

Gospel John 20:19–23 or John 14:15–16, 23b–26

Red

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