Reflection/Homily: Seventh (7th) Sunday of Easter Year C

Theme: “That they may all be One”

 

There is this story of an African Sage who at his moment of death convoked a gathering of all his children. He asked each one of them to come with a stick of broom and in turn told them to break the stick of broom. When they all broke what they had, he asked them to get a bunch of broom each and break them. They tried their best but could not break any of them. The man replied: “United you can never be defeated but on your own, you can offer no resistance to defeat”. 

The moral of this story is probably what motivated Jesus’ prayer for the unity of his apostles in the Gospel reading (John 17:20-26). Jesus knew that after his ascension, that there would be several oppositions against his disciples. He never wanted any of them to work on his own to avoid defeat. He wanted them to remain united in the exercise of their ministry just as he is united with the father. According to Jesus, this oneness of his apostles is a proof of their oneness with God.

Reflection/Homily: Pentecost Sunday Year C (May 19 2013)

Reflection/Homily: Pentecost Sunday Year C (May 19 2013)

Theme: “The Gift of the Holy Spirit”

The Word “Pentecost” is derived from the Greek word “pentekoste (hemera)” meaning “fiftieth (day). Pentecost Sunday is a Christian feast with a Jewish origin in the Old Testament known as the “festival of weeks” (Shavuot) (cf. Ex. 34:22). Since Shavuot is celebrated 50 days after the “pesach” (Passover or Christian Easter) in thanksgiving to Yahweh for the reception of the Torah, Hellenistic Jews gave it a Greek name pentekoste and that was the major reason why the Jews gathered in the first reading. (Acts 2:1-11). In Christianity, we celebrate Pentecost as the fiftieth day after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. It is also the tenth day after the Ascension.

Christians could find some relationship between the Jewish and the Christian Pentecost. Moses had to go up to Mount Sinai to receive the Law, as the apostles had to go up to the Upper Room to receive the Holy Spirit. While the Law guided the Jews, the Holy Spirit guides the Christians for they are no longer governed by the Law but by the Spirit.

The descent of the Holy Spirit as we saw in the first reading did not just occur in history. It was prophesied both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. In Joel 3:1, God promised to pour out his Spirit on all humanity in the latter days and in John 14:26 we see the promise of the Holy Spirit who will teach us everything and remind us of all Christ said. This Holy Spirit is the third person of the Blessed Trinity. He is also known as the Paraclete (Comforter) and the promise of the Father. He performs the function of sanctification and empowerment. At the Pentecost, He sanctified the Apostles and empowered them to lead the Church.