Introduction
The word “Pentecost” has its origins in Greek and it means “fiftieth.” Fifty days after Easter Sunday, we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early disciples.
However, Pentecost was a Jewish feast before it was a Christian feast. On the fiftieth day after Passover, the Jews celebrated their covenant relationship with God by recalling Moses receiving the law on Mount Sinai. Just as the Gospel accounts reinterpret the significance of the meal celebrated on Passover by telling the story of Jesus instituting the Eucharist, so the Acts of the Apostles reinterprets the significance of the feast of Pentecost, making it a celebration of the gift of the Spirit to the Church.
Because the arrival of the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to launch their earthly ministry to make disciples of all nations, Pentecost is also celebrated as the birth of the Church. From that point on, the apostles carried the message of Christ to the whole world.
1st Reading – 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.”
Today’s first reading is the amazing story of the first Christian Pentecost.
The setting for today’s first reading is fifty days after the first Easter, ten days since Christ has ascended and left the disciples with the responsibility of administering his Church. Before he ascended he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 1:4-5).
Following this instruction, the disciples returned from the site of the ascension in Galilee to the Upper Room in Jerusalem.
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
The Jewish feast of Pentecost was one of the major pilgrim festivals of Israel — all Jewish males over the age of twelve were expected to try to celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem.
Notice that Luke says, “the time for Pentecost was fulfilled.” This is expression indicates that a time of waiting has come to an end, which sets up the story as a description of a momentous event.
He used the same expression in his gospel when Jesus began his journey to Jerusalem: “When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, Jesus resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).
they were all in one place together.
It is commonly understood that the group of disciples mentioned here is the group of 120 believers that Luke mentioned previously, in Acts 1:15.
120 people in the same house!
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,
God sometimes reveals himself through awe-inspiring and extraordinary means, an experience known as a theophany. Various theophanies are described throughout the Bible, for example:
- Thunder accompanying God’s revelation at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16),
- God speaking to Job from the whirlwind (Job 38:1), and
- God speaking to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3:2).
Wind and fire are traditional symbols for the presence of God; this would have been very obvious to Jews who knew their scripture (Genesis 1:2, 1 Samuel 16:13, Isaiah 66:15).
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
Notice that the fire rests on each person, indicating that the Spirit has come to dwell in each person.
That being said, it’s not clear who was in the room when the Spirit descended. Was it all 120 people mentioned in Acts 1:15, or only the twelve apostles (Acts 2:14)?
The Greek text doesn’t use gender-specific language, which might have pointed us to the latter option. In Acts 2:17-18 (after our reading), Peter quotes the prophet Joel’s foretelling of the coming of the Spirit, which suggests that the group included both men and women.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
The Greek word glōssa (“tongue”) is used for both the tongues of fire that appeared above each person and the foreign languages that were spoken afterward.
This connection suggests that the tongues of fire enabled the foreign tongues.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
The city was filled with “devout Jews from every nation” because of the pilgrim feast.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
The loud noise of wind mentioned earlier draws a crowd.
but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
It’s unclear whether the apostles were speaking in foreign tongues (i.e. communicative speech in foreign languages) or speaking in tongues in terms of ecstatic prayer.
Regardless, the speech is interpreted by the hearers as communicative speech, each in their own native language. This is seen by many as a symbol of the worldwide mission of the church.
The root of the word translated as “confused” is the same as the word used in the Septuagint to describe the effect of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), indicating that this event reverses the scattering that occurred when languages were “confused” after the attempt to construct the tower.
The Tower of Babel story is proclaimed during the Pentecost Vigil (see separate post), reinforcing this notion.
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 own native language?
Note the change in the attitude of the crowd: they go from confused to astounded to amazed. Although the speakers were Galileans (some feature of their speech likely gave them away), the listeners were miraculously able to comprehend the message in their own native dialects.
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,
This is more or less a geographical sweep from east to west, which gives an impression of universality.
as well as travelers from Rome,
Luke tacks the center of the Roman empire onto his list, breaking from the east-to-west pattern.
both Jews and converts to Judaism,
Luke emphasizes the inclusivity of the crowd by mentioning the presence of both ethnic Jews and converts, underscoring the universal scope of the Gospel message.
Cretans and Arabs,
As a conclusion to the list, Luke mentions the western-most and eastern-most regions represented by those present.
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”
Recall that just before his ascension, Jesus told the apostles: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That’s exactly what has happened on this first Pentecost: the Holy Spirit has come upon the apostles and they are suddenly and miraculously able to preach to all nations.
Thus was the Church born. In one fell swoop, the apostles are transformed from weak, timid, shallow men holed up in a room to bold, wise men who would reach the ends of the earth to proclaim Jesus Christ.
2nd Reading – 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters:
No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
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.
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.
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.
Today’s second reading underscores the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. The Spirit enables us to acknowledge Jesus as Lord, empowers us with spiritual gifts for service, unites us in the body of Christ, and brings about our spiritual rebirth and transformation.
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
The declaration “Jesus is Lord!” is deeply significant. The title “Lord” (kyrios) was reserved for the Roman emperor, so proclaiming Jesus as Lord created a direct challenge to the political authority. Roman emperors also claimed divine status, which means this claim posed a religious rivalry as well as a political one. Anyone claiming Jesus as “Lord” placed their own lives in danger, especially given the Roman government’s direct involvement in the death of Jesus.
Additionally, the term “Lord” was used in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) as a substitute for God’s personal name. Applying this title to Jesus asserts his divinity.
Such a bold assertion would not be made without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, which instills the courage and conviction to proclaim it.
“If no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit, what can we say about those who do name His name but do not have the Spirit? Here we have to understand that Paul was not talking about catechumens who had not yet been baptized but about believers and unbelievers.” [Saint John Chrysostom (392 AD), Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians 29,3]
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
Paul moves on to a discussion of the diversity of spiritual gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit.
In describing this diversity, Paul mentions gifts, ministries, and works. These different terms do not necessarily refer to distinct types of graces but rather represent different perspectives on these gifts:
- In the sense that they are gratuitously bestowed, they are attributed to the Holy Spirit (as Paul will confirm in the next verse)
- In the sense of them being granted for the benefit and service of others, they are attributed to Christ, who came “not to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45);
- In the sense of these gifts being efficacious, they are attributed to God the Father, who spoke all of creation into being.
This multifaceted view of grace is a living reflection of our triune God, the source of that grace.
who produces all of them in everyone.
Paul also discourages any notion of superiority among individuals based on the gifts they possessed, which seemed to have been a problem that had developed in the Corinthian community.
No gift has any more importance than another, all have the same divine origin and the same purpose.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.
These gifts are not for us to hold but to share. They were given for the benefit of the entire community.
“Each person receives a gift so that, governing his life by divine constraints, he may be useful both to himself and to others while presenting an example of good behavior.” [The Ambrosiaster (between 366-384 AD), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
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.
The diversity of the community is compared to the complexity of the human body, a comparison often made in Greek and Latin literature. Each body part serves a distinct purpose while contributing to the well-being of the whole. Each part is also dependent upon the others.
The Church is the Body of Christ, and it too is formed of many different members which are to work together for the collective good. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
Paul reminds the Corinthians that they all received the same baptism, which unites believers as one body. This unity transcends the distinctions of nationality (Jews or Greeks) and social status (slaves or free).
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Scripture often compares the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to water or drink, indicating that the presence of the Spirit revives the parched soul. In the Old Testament, the coming of the Holy Spirit was often portrayed as dew, rain, etc. (Hosea 14:5, Isaiah 44:3, Jeremiah 17:7-8) and in John’s gospel, Jesus proclaims himself to be “living water” (John 7:38; cf. 4:13-14).
In John Chapter 17 (7th Sunday of Easter, Year B), Jesus prayed fervently for the unity of his body, the Church. Now we understand that the Holy Spirit is the source of the divine unity Jesus prayed for.
Gospel – John 20:19-23
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.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, 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.”
Today’s gospel reading is Jesus’ first appearance to the apostles after his resurrection. Each of the details Saint John provides is laden with theological meaning.
(This passage may seem very familiar; it’s part of the gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Easter every year.)
On the evening of that first day of the week,
This is the evening of the day of the resurrection. Sunday is “the first day of the week.”
Every resurrection account which is dated in the gospels occurs on a Sunday.
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews,
After what had happened to Jesus, the disciples feared for their lives.
Jesus came and stood in their midst
Despite the locked doors, Jesus is suddenly in their midst. His glorified risen body is not impeded by material obstacles, demonstrating his resurrection and his victory over death.
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
“Shalom.” In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first word to the disciples after his resurrection is a wish of peace. While it was a common greeting of the time, it is also a prayer for the eschatological blessings of health, prosperity, and all good things.
This gentle greeting must have been a great relief to the apostles, who were likely feeling deep fear and shame over abandoning Jesus during his passion.
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
By revealing his wounds from the crucifixion, Jesus is showing the disciples that he is not a figment of their imagination or a ghostly entity. His tortured body is truly present.
There is no longer any doubt that this is the same Jesus whom they had known and loved, and who had been crucified — now transformed and victorious over death.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
The disciples recognize him immediately and rejoice. All was not lost after all; their leader had returned.
Their elation is a fulfillment of a promise Jesus made at the Last Supper: “So you are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22).
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
Once again, shalom. The message of peace is emphasized by repetition.
This is also a promised gift. At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you’” (John 14:27-28).
Now, Jesus has indeed come back to them, just as he promised, and he offers them peace.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
He is commissioning them with the same authority with which he was given.
Note: the word “apostle” means “one who is sent.”
What did [Christ] wish in regard to the Church founded, or about to be founded? This: to transmit to it the same mission and the same mandate which He had received from the Father, that they should be perpetuated. This He clearly resolved to do: this He actually did. “As the Father hath sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21). “As thou hast sent Me into the world I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). [Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum]
And when he had said this, he breathed on them
This description of Jesus breathing on the apostles is one of John’s many allusions to the Book of Genesis. When God created man in the garden, God breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7). Just as God created the material world in Genesis, here Jesus is breathing life into his creation, the Church — a creative/re-creative act consistent with the Easter themes of new birth and a new life in Christ.
and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
There is a beautiful word play here with the Hebrew ruah, which can mean “breath”, “wind”, and “spirit”.
Note the trinitarian nature of this event: the commission is from God, given by Jesus, and endowed with the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
The phrase “bind and loose” is a judicial reference, where a judge determines the guilt or innocence of a defendant and the subsequent consequences. The Church has always understood that Jesus here vested the apostles with the authority to forgive sins and instituted the sacrament of Penance.
“The Lord then especially instituted the sacrament of penance, when, being raised from the dead, he breathed upon his disciples, saying: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit …’. The consensus of all the [Church] Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words so clear, the power of forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the apostles and their lawful successors, for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism.” (Council of Trent, De Paenitentia, Chapter 1)
However, the authority bestowed here extends beyond this specific function. “Bind and loose” is comparable to expressions like “flesh and blood” or “left and right,” which encompass the entirety of their respective categories. These phrases convey a sense of totality: “flesh and blood” encompasses the entire body, “left and right” represents the entire horizon, and “bind and loose” denotes complete authority.
With this bestowal of the Spirit, the disciples are endowed with the authority and power to carry on Jesus’ mission on earth.
Connections and Themes
Pentecost. Today’s feast marks the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the unification of diverse nations. It also marks the culmination of the Easter season, like the grand finale of a majestic symphony. The readings for today encompass many recurring themes from the Easter season: the nature of Christ, the Trinity, the reign of God, repentance, salvation, mission, and universality. All these elements converge as we are united in the body of Christ.
In the fullness of the Spirit. The plan of salvation is brought to its conclusion as the risen Lord takes his rightful place beside God and sends his Spirit to fill the earth with divine power. The world becomes infused with divine energy: tongues are liberated, language knows no bounds, and charismatic gifts pour forth. Barred doors are flung open, bringing peace to fearful hearts.
“If this has all really happened, why does our world look the same? Why is there so much religious and ethnic rivalry? Why do we continue to make distinctions between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, woman and man — distinctions that favor one at the expense of another? Why is there to little peace, or comfort, or solace? Why do we refuse to forgive or to be reconciled? Is Pentecost merely a feast we celebrate in red vestments? Has the face of the earth really been renewed?
“The answer is yes! Resoundingly, yes! The Spirit has been poured forth and works wonders wherever human hearts are open to its promptings. The earth is renewed each time rivalries are resolved; distinctions are recognized as merely expressions of diversity; peace is restored; comfort and solace are offered; forgiveness is granted. We are immersed in the vigor of the Spirit of God; all we have to do is open ourselves to it and the reign of God will be born in our midst.” [Dianne Bergant, Preaching the New Lectionary, Year A]
Sunday Readings 