Fr. Robert J Carr is the editor of this blog

Today’s Solemnity, Pentecost, is a powerful day that celebrates God’s action in our lives and our response to it. Let’s take a good look at it.

First, let us look at the opening prayer, which is actually called the collect. Now I want to go to the only version of the collect that I have that is closest to the Latin and, until the First Sunday of Advent of this coming year the English is not that version, the Spanish is: (This is a fancy way of saying I don’t speak Latin well enough to translate that original source. Spanish is quite close to the original Latin and the current English is at best a paraphrase of the true source.)

Our God, through the mystery of Pentecost, Sanctify your Church extended throughout the nations, bestow to the entire world the gifts of the Holy Spirit and continue bringing forth among the faithful  the unity and love of the early Church.

Notice the focus on the work of God in our lives, a work that calls us to accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to allow ourselves to be sanctified and to promote this holiness throughout the world that is initiated and perpetuated with God.

Contrast this with the first reading for the Vigil of Pentecost: It is the focus on the great human effort at self-exaltation in what we call the Tower of Babel.

One side will never find God because it tries too hard to do so and in the process tries to be God and the other side is one that recognizes the active work of God in our lives and acts upon it. This same tension exists today. Those that see humanity as gods in their own right and, therefore, believe that we  have the responsibility to act tirelessly to save the world versus those who recognize that we are created by a loving God and need to allow the love from this God to be the source of all that we do.

There is a powerful verse in the Psalms, check out Psalm 146:10 and you will see the words Be Still and Know that I am God. This psalm which speaks to those who were in battle is a reminder that God is God and commanding them to trust in this. The words remind us that we have no room for distress in our struggles. Trust in the living God. Trust in his powerful action in our lives and trust in his reality that is beyond us.

When we go to the upper room where the Apostles were, we see that the Holy Spirit bestows on them in a dramatic way, with fire and wind, gifts to manifest God’s plan of salvation in the world. They were completely surprised, expecting none of this. God is the God of surprise. Yet, taking themes from Pope Benedict XVI we see another message as well. The same Spirit that participated in creation, is the Spirit who brings a new creation to the world. Now we see something that is reminiscent of the Exodus event when the Red Sea is parted by the God who led the Jews our of slavery. Remember God was a column of fire at night and the Egyptians and the Jews are permanently separated. Now in the action of the Holy Spirit we have those with God and those against God permanently separated. God has called us to be among those who will be saved by his salvation. He calls us to respond to him in love to his action in our lives. We will never be perfect at it, but as long as we continue to respond and grow in our ability to respond, we shall become one with Christ.

However, we have been called out of darkness, called into the life of the Spirit and called into the way of salvation. Part of that way involves turning from sin and from that way of life that is rooted in darkness. It is also a way that leads us to see where the light is and where the darkness is and allow us to follow the way of light.

This is what Peter does. He, in the Holy Spirit, begin the process with the Jews that surround them in the feast of Pentecost, a feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He begins the calls to lead people out of darkness and into the light of the new creation.

The Holy Spirit has at the initiation of the Father called us to salvation. This is the day we celebrate God’s initiation in our lives and our resolve to respond by following Christ everyday.

God Bless You,

Fr. Robert J Carr

Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community (Canção Nova). He is the pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA and is the editor of this blog. You may also find his videos in English at Gloria.tv. He also has a regular radio program on  WebRadio Canção Nova. Which he podcasts on the Canção Nova podcast website and here on Catholicismanew.