Today we have heard two versions of the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit: John’s description of Jesus breathing out his
Spirit on the disciples after his words of peace and the showing of his wounds;
and Luke’s description of a strong driving wind and tongues of flame as the
Spirit filled the house and the hearts of those gathered in the upper room with
Our Lady. Jesus and the Spirit are inseparable in their desire and mission to
bring the Church to birth, and to rebirth when needed. Today we, too, are
invited to experience the inseparable missions of the Son and the Spirit. The
Paschal candle stands in our midst as a sign of these missions, reminding us of
the Morning Star that never sets and the flame still burning. Let us allow
ourselves to be drawn by the words and the wounds of our Lord and clothed with the
fire of his Spirit.
We
should never forget that Jesus’ mission did not end after his resurrection and
ascension. He continues to intercede for us, but in a different form, as he
himself tells us, “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone
to myself.” This is the key to our contemplative vocation—to allow ourselves to
be drawn to him. But how does he draw us? By reminding us of his words and
wounds. They reveal his goodness; they reveal his love: words of peace and
wounds of love. They attract us, and little by little they become the object of
our desire. We want more. And Jesus gives us more by breathing out his Spirit upon,
the Spirit that he received from the Father. The Spirit reminds us of all that Jesus
said and did. Jesus’ breath is a fragrant ointment, a pleasing scent, like the
fragrance which made the Bride in the Song of Songs cry out, “Draw me after
you. Let us make haste.” Jesus continues to draw us with the good fragrance of
his words and wounds, and he does this always in company with the Spirit.
But
the Spirit’s distinct mission has its own characteristics, above all, to adorn
the Church with every gift that makes her a beautiful bride, pleasing to Jesus.
We see this clearly in the scene from Luke. The Spirit creates one mind and one
soul among many disciples and joins them into one body in Christ. But the
Spirit does more: he literally draws out of them tongues of different languages
so that everyone can hear “the mighty acts of God.” Even today the Spirit is
adorning the Bride of Christ with gifts that reveal that Jesus and the Father
have truly made their dwelling in her—the gifts of prophecy, the gifts of healing,
parrhesia, boldness, confidence, holding all things in common—all the beauty that
befits such an exalted King.
Today we are experiencing with Our Lady the birth of the Church and the goal of the whole Paschal mystery, from the Easter Vigil to Pentecost. We may not see the tongues of flame descending, but they are here, drawing us to Jesus’ words and wounds in the Eucharist and adorning the Bride of Christ with gifts of fire. We are all being adorned with fire—and for fire!
Abbot Vincent's homily for Pentecost.
