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Acts: 2: 1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Maximillian Kolbe was a Franciscan friar who was arrested and sent to Auschwitz, an infamous death camp where more than a million people died during World War Two.
One day while working in that camp, another prisoner tried escaping over a barbed wire fence. Furious, the guards selected ten men to die in his place.
One of the prisoners selected broke down, pleading for mercy, telling the guards that he was a husband and a father. Suddenly, Maximillian Kolbe stepped forward and said:
“I am a Catholic priest. Let me take his place.”
Maximillian and the nine other men selected were led off to prison cells, condemned to death by starvation. Incredibly, Maximillian led that group of men in prayer and song for nearly two weeks.
Survivors from Auschwitz later recounted how the group could be heard singing at all hours of the night, transforming their darkened cells into a choir of praise.
The hope was contagious.
And the courage that filled Maximillian’s heart – from the moment he stepped forward, volunteering to die in another man’s place, to the moment he sang his final note – was Pentecost.
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Pentecost is not an event that happened only once behind locked doors in Jerusalem, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles. It happens all the time, whenever a person is filled with divine inspiration.
But what happened to the disciples – their inner transformation from cowardice to courage, from fear to freedom – is key to understanding what Pentecost is and why it matters.
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In last week’s Gospel, Jesus ascended into heaven, vanishing before his disciples. Matthew tells us, “they worshipped, but they doubted.”
They worshipped Jesus because he returned in glory to his Father. But they doubted because they didn’t know what to do next.
Their only consolation was Christ’s mysterious promise given to them at the Last Supper, that he would send them the “Advocate,” the Holy Spirit, who would be with them always, guiding them to all Truth.
Days after the Ascension, the disciples once again find themselves behind locked doors in Jerusalem. Suddenly, a strong wind breaks the still air as the Spirit descends upon them, appearing as tongues of fire.
Infused with courage, the disciples rush back into Jerusalem and begin preaching to the very same crowds who shouted for the Lord’s death.
This is when the Church is born – and the journey to the ends of the earth begins. The Apostles go on mission.
We will see Pentecost happen again and again as they live out their ministries, calling upon the Holy Spirit to impart the courage to preach, the grace to heal, and the strength to endure various trials.
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For example, when Saint Paul is nearly stoned to death and left for dead on the edge of town, he suddenly comes to his senses. Standing up bruised and bloodied, he returns to the same town, preaching the same message to the same people who tried killing him.
His bravery converts many.
That is Pentecost.
When Paul and Silas are later chained to a stake in the ground in the innermost cell of a dungeon after being flogged and publicly humiliated, they begin singing songs to God at midnight.
That is Pentecost.
When an earthquake strikes the very same ground, freeing Paul and Silas from their chains. When they don’t budge an inch, but stay in their cells and begin preaching the Gospel to the jailer who once held them captive. Then that jailer is overcome with faith.
That is Pentecost.
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When I was ordained a priest 11 years ago after laying flat on the cold, marble floor of our cathedral in Newark while thousands prayed for my brothers and me.
That was Pentecost.
Asking the Spirit to fan my faith into flame after celebrating thousands of Masses, hundreds of baptisms and funerals, dozens of weddings, and countless visits to the sick and homebound.
That is Pentecost.
When a child runs off to JAM, our children’s liturgy of the Word at the 10 am Mass, and comes back excited about Jesus.
That is Pentecost.
When fear is overcome… When wisdom is given… When peace settles into a heart shaken by tragedy…
When a couple celebrates five, ten, or fifty years married…
When a family clings to resurrection hope after the death of a loved one…
That is Pentecost.
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Pentecost happens whenever we call upon the Holy Spirit.
So, may that same Spirit, who transformed the hearts of the disciples, and who sustained the lives of Saints like Maximillian Kolbe, also come to our aid.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Come, Pentecost.
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Image credits: (1) Revive Our Hearts (2) Catholic World Report (3) Catholic Sistas