Pentecost - the gift of Jesus that keeps on giving

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10

Pentecost is one of those vivid and symbolic feasts of the Church that many of us associate with imagery of fire and the Holy Spirit. In many pictures, we will often see our Lady together with the Apostles, and tongues of fire over each of their heads. What we often forget to understand is the deeper meaning behind it all. 

• Why does Jesus send and give us the Holy Spirit?
• Who or what is the Holy Spirit?
• Why is Our Lady in the scene at Pentecost, and what is her connection with the Holy Spirit?
• Why does the Holy Spirit give us gifts, and what is the meaning behind gifts from God?
• What gifts has Jesus specifically given us?

To explore these questions, I would first like to start with the last point. What gifts has Jesus specifically given us?

In the Gospels we can highlight a few of the following that Jesus gives/promises us-  rest (Matthew 11:28-30) His peace (John 14:27),  the Eucharist (Luke 22:19-20, Matthew 26:26-39, Mark 14:22-25) , the example of service (John 13:15-17), a New Commandment (John 13:34), how to pray (Luke 11:2-4, Matthew 6:9-13), eternal life (John 11:25 - 26), a place in His Father's house (John 14:1-3), always being with us and not leaving us orphans (Matthew 28:28, John 14:18)  his mother Mary (John 19:27), the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, John 14:16, John 20:22).

All of the teachings and promises of Jesus are regarding gift of eternal life and salvation. However, If we had to group the promises, we could roughly put them into 3 categories -

• The gift of the Sacraments
• The gift of His own mother
• The gift of the Holy Spirit

These 3 gifts are so intrinsically linked, that we can easily overlook or take the connections for granted. 

As Catholics, we know that the Sacraments of the Church were established and instituted by Jesus Himself, and handed on to the Apostles who were the first Bishops. For most of us we have heard it often enough that Jesus gives us forgiveness of sins, the promise of eternal life, and the power of prayer as the Children of God. We also know that Trinitarian Baptism was instituted by Jesus (Matthew 18:19-20), as well as His Body and Blood in the Eucharist (John 6:54-56). On Holy Thursday He instituted the priesthood at the Last Supper when he commanded them to continue His memorial of the Eucharist (Luke22:19-20). Sometimes we may forget the connection between the power He granted to priests to forgive sins in Confession (John 20:21-23). 

All the Sacraments are for strengthening our faith, keeping the teachings of Jesus alive in us and building up the Body of Christ - the Church. It is the power of the Holy Spirit present in the Sacraments that enables them to have life giving power, so that they actually do/impart the reality behind what is symbolised in the action ..ie waters of baptism symbolically wash but actually cleanses and purifies us from original sin, the annointing with chrism and laying on of hands gives us the Holy Spirit who is the seal/annointing of God and overshadowing Divine Presence that we become temples of, eating consecrated bread and wine as food bring us into union with the person of Jesus Christ Himself, the words of the priest spoken over us absolving us of our sins become a guarantee and declaration of forgiveness by Jesus Christ Himself. 

The power behind the Sacraments comes from the authority of Jesus Christ Himself and the action of the Holy Spirit who is present in the Sacraments (CCC #1076). The Holy Spirit keeps alive the memory of Jesus in the Church (CCC #1099), preserving the Church and giving us life, as well as leading us into the fullness of truth while comforting and teaching us (John 16:13).  As the Catechism powerfully states in paragraph #779:  

"Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out the Spirit among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the Church's sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body." (CCC 779)

So we can see that the Sacraments are inseparable from the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit they are just empty symbols, but with the Holy Spirit they become life giving actions that impart grace and divine life to us. This is why Jesus emphasises that the Holy Spirit is the Gift of God, that is Living Water (John 4:10). It is the Holy Spirit that gives life and power (John 6:63). 

At Pentecost we celebrate and remember the wonderous outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The dramatic manifestation of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit now outpoured and given to the Church through a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire (Acts 2:3). In the Old Testament, the presence of God manifested as fire in the desert and especially in the glory cloud in the Temple. Now in the Kingdom of God - with the 12 Apostles as the foundation of the New Israel, the Holy Spirit manifests as fire over them to signify His presence among them and with them. 

So where does out Lady fit into all of this?

Just before the scene of Pentecost in the books of Acts, it specifies that they all gathered together in prayer with Mary the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14). This is a very important point that should not be easily overlooked. Because in the Gospel of Luke, the comparisons are made with Mary being the Ark of the New Covenant. This is demonstrated by Mary being "overshadowed" by the Holy Spirit at the Annunciation (Luke 1:35). This overshadowing or covering of Mary by the Holy Spirit is the same terminology used to refer to the Glory of God, the Cloud of Presence (or the Shekinah as the rabbinic tradition call it) in the Temple during worship (Exodus 24:16, Exodus 40:34-38, Numbers 9:15-23). The same mysterious fiery cloudy presence of God that appeared to Moses and led the Jews out of Egypt, that dwelt with them and was present in the Temple - overshadowed Mary and she conceived Jesus by this same mysterious powerful presence. 

We only hear of this presence a few other times in the gospels - the Baptism of Jesus and the Transfiguration. Then no further mention is made again - until Pentecost! And it is precisely with the Apostles gathered as the New Israel, together with Mary the Ark of the New Covenant that the Holy Spirit manifests upon, giving new strength, vitality, life and courage. They have now received the power that Jesus promised He would send them, just before He ascended into heaven. 

As I have pointed out in a previous post - at the ascension Jesus did not leave the Church, but rather He was enthroned in heaven as the Head of the Church and is still present with us through the Sacraments and the Holy Spirit. This is why in the Divine Office during Eastertime, the following passage from Acts 5:30-32 is regularly repeated throughout the season. Because it links the fruits Paschal Mystery of Jesus (forgiveness of sins), with the witness of the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:6-8) and the Gift of God - the Holy Spirit, the Divine Indwelling of God within us as His temples:

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:30-32) 

The Apostles now empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost are transformed men. They have gone from running away and abandoning Jesus and denying Him during His Passion - to now boldly declaring themselves as witnesses to Him as the Messiah and Saviour . The difference in them is now the presence and gift of the Holy Spirit who is leading them, guiding them, strengthening them and giving life. The Living Water is now nourishing them, raising them from their weakness and giving them power to work miracles and speak the truth of the Gospel to all nations. Giving them strength to remain joyful during persecution and rejoice in tribulation and the face of death (Acts 5:42) . Only the presence Holy Spirit can do this!

But behind the scenes in all this is the subtle presence of Our Lady. She is the faithful one who stood bravely at the cross while Jesus was being crucified (John 19:25). She is the one who would have told St Luke the story of what happened to her at the Annunciation when the Angel of the Lord, Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would become pregnant. Then she would have recounted that mysterious encounter she had of the Holy Spirit overshadowing her and of her unconditional Fiat to God as she proclaimed she is the Handmaid of the Lord. She would have recognised the presence of her Spouse, the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in the wind and the fiery tongues. 

Mary the mother of Jesus, the Mother of God - the Theotokos, is now also the Mother of the Church. She who gave birth to the Son of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, was also present when the power of the Holy Spirit manifested at Pentecost and was poured out into their hearts as the fiery love of God (Romans 5:5). On the cross, Jesus Himself gave us the gift of His own mother - "behold your mother" (John 19:27). He still asks us today to receive His mother as His gift to us, just as He also gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Advocate. The Holy Spirit is the one who keeps the memory and teachings of Jesus alive is us today and in the Church through the Sacraments and sanctifying grace. 

Pentecost is now no longer a once off distant event. Pentecost is available to us everytime we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and pray. The Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5), we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3) as our pledge and guarantee of Jesus (2Cotinthians 1:22), the Holy Spirit is alive in with resurrection power (Romans 8:11), and also interceding for us and teaching us to pray (Romans 8:26-28). This is the gift of Jesus that never ends, it is the gift that keeps on giving.

It is only the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to follow Jesus and to be called Children of God (Romans 8:14, John 1:12). The promise and relationship with the Holy Spirit is the gift of Jesus to His Body, the Church. As our Head, He has sent us the Holy Spirit to keep us in unity, harmony and communion to mutually build eachother up and to proclaim the Gospel. The Holy Spirit is the flame that keeps the memory of Jesus alive in us and in the Church, specifically through the Sacraments. These become the living encounter of Jesus coming to us, and us receiving the grace of freedom from sin and strength to live anew each moment the promises of Christ. All of this happens under the encouragement and protection of the loving Mother of Jesus, our mother of grace and Mother of the Church. She who kept all these things in her heart (Luke 2:19, Luke 2:51), also keeps us in her Immaculate heart so we too can keep Jesus alive in our heart through the Holy Spirit. 

This is why Pope St Paul VI declared Mary as Mother of the Church at the end of the Second Vatican Council. Just as 1500 years earlier at the Council of Ephesus, Mary was dogmatically declared Mother of God, Theotokos - he developed the Marian Ecclesiology of the document Lumen Gentium to now proclaim Our Lady as Mother of the Church. The Divine Maternity of Mary, in a mysterious way extends now to the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. 

This is why in 2018, Pope Francis established the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church to be celebrated on the first Monday after Pentecost. Mary is every present in the Church, united with us in prayer just as she was with the Apostles in the Upper Room at Pentecost. The presence of Mary and the Holy Spirit cannot be separated. So this Memorial of Mary, mother of the Church helps to show us how the Church, the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit and Our Lady are all intimately connected and unite us closer to Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

May we always accept the gifts that Jesus gives us and offers to us, never rejecting them. Let us thanks Jesus always for the gifts of the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit and his own mother!

Mary, Queen and Mother of the Church - Pray for us!