Spirit Week

Homily for May 24, 2015 (Pentecost Sunday)
Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; Galatians 5:16-25; John 20:19-23

Almost anyone who has regularly been around a high school is familiar with Spirit Week.  As the name suggests, it is designed to build school morale and loyalty so that they will reach a crescendo at events on the coming weekend, typically the Homecoming Dance and “The Big Game” against a bitter rival or perhaps a convenient “cupcake” opponent.  Spirit Weeks typically feature various themed days.  Many of these are focused on wearing the school colors or flamboyant fashions (e.g. “70’s Day” featuring platform shoes, vinyl skirts, and leisure suits), but some are more community or service-oriented (e.g. helping senior citizens).

The majority of scripture scholars consider the Acts 2 narrative about the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and its immediate aftermath to be a “telescopic” rendering, i.e. it compresses into hours and days events that more likely unfolded over weeks, months and years.  Unlike the spirit weeks of today, however, the peak event of Pentecost is at the beginning:  the Holy Spirit comes with power upon the Twelve gathered together.  The Spirit’s presence is announced with “a noise like a strong driving wind” and is made manifest with “tongues as of fire” which part, descend upon each of them, and enable them to speak in different tongues.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, both wind and fire announce God’s presence and manifest God’s power.  At the very dawn of time, “a mighty wind” sweeps over the waters of the abyss and God’s creative work begins (Genesis 1:1); and pillars of fire assure the people of Israel on their Exodus journey that God is with them.  Instead of many languages confusing and dividing people who were punished for their ambition and pride as at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9),  the ability to speak and hear in many tongues brings them together and enables them to know “the mighty acts of God.”  It all says:  God is doing something new!

The liturgical color for today is red, which during the rest of the year is used to commemorate Jesus’ Passion as well as the lives of the martyrs.  Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, who is being beatified this weekend, is one of thousands now remembered not only for giving their lives but even more importantly witnessing to the Gospel.  Indeed, the Greek martyrion literally means “witness.”  While few of us are called to die for our faith, all of us share the call to witness to it; and probably the most powerful witness that we can give is to show the Holy Spirit’s power and God’s grace in how we live each day.

Using a common literary device in the Greco-Roman world—lists of vices and virtues—St. Paul sought to teach the Galatian church how to responsibly use the gift of freedom that they had been given in Christ.  While many people today confuse freedom with license—doing whatever, whenever, however, with whomever—Paul urges us to use that freedom to be our best selves:  loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, generous, faithful, gentle and self-disciplined.

Similarly, when Jesus  breathes the Holy Spirit onto his disciples, creating them anew as his Father blew life into the first human he formed from the earth (Genesis 2:7), he sends them forth to share the peace he has given them through their own ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation.  For followers of Jesus, every week, can be Spirit Week—not with school colors or funky fashions but with, hearts and minds, words and deeds that, in the words of our Responsorial Psalm, will “renew the face of the earth.” +