Today The Holy Spirit Has Been Poured Out On All Flesh So We May Know The Living God
A Reflection On Acts 2:1-
After a brief hiatus, we have returned to our reflections on the Epistles, and I could not think of a day more fitting than Pentecost to do so.
WHEN THE DAY of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."
RSV Acts 2:1-11
Often, we hear that Pentecost is referred to as the Church's birthday. In a sense, this is accurate, given it marks the birth of the Chuch, as we know her today, working through us and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Today, we will focus on delving into what is happening within Acts 2:1-11. Within this reading, we hear talk of a mighty wind, tongues of fire, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. We also hear of a vast list of people from all over the world who came to Jerusalem in those days. Then, when the Apostles are filled with the Holy Spirit, all hear them preach the Gospel in their respective tongues. All of these details may, on their surface, seem strange, so it is necessary to dig deeper to see what is happening here and what it means for us as Christians today.
First, let's examine how the Holy Spirit's appearance is described. How we understand God as a Trinity - three undivided persons as one God - is our understanding that all three persons are seen incarnate through the Son, for the Son is the seen Person of the Holy Trinity, given that He shares our human nature.
The best example of this is seen in the Theophany Icon, where we see the revelation of God as Trinity. The Father's voice affirms the Son's status, and the Holy Spirit, who is described as descending on the Son, is depicted in the form of a dove. This does not mean that the Holy Spirit is embodied as a dove; rather, the description of the Holy Spirit is our human attempt to describe something or someone who is indescribable.
A spirit, in general, is a force that gives life and is not embodied; instead, spirits animate bodies and, for that matter, all creation. Thus, the Holy Spirit is the Person of the Trinity Who animates us in the new life found in God, leading us toward this reality and forming us as we grow into God's likeness.
So, why is the Holy Spirit described using fire and wind? We see the Holy Spirit described with such characteristics throughout the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit is the enlightener who led Israel through the wilderness in the pillar of fire (Exodus 13:17-14:29). The Holy Spirit is also seen in the wisdom offered to the prophets and in God passing by Elijah as a gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:10-13). Thus, the natural attributes of the Holy Spirit call to mind the role that He plays.
The Holy Spirit leads us to the loving presence of God. Now that Pentecost has come, the Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh (Joel 2:28-32), leading each of us intimately toward the revelation of Who God is and the good He continues to do for us through His Christ. This guidance is a constant presence in our lives, reassuring us that we are on the path to salvation.
Finally, we have the reference to the various people in Jerusalem who have congregated from all over the known world. Jerusalem is full at this time because of the feast of Shavuot in Greek Pantocost, which remembers the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The giving of the Torah or Law marks the covenant with God and His people, Israel and Jews from all over the known world congregate in remembrance of this day.
Yet for the Church, the day becomes a new Pentecost, for as it is written in Jeremiah 31:33, "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Thus, the new Pentecost marks a new covenantal promise between God and His people. The Law of God was presented to the people who came to Jerusalem; now, they leave with it written on their hearts. As a result of the vast number of people there from all over the known world, this new covenant of the Gospel extends through the known world. This shared understanding and commitment to the Gospel unites us all, making us part of a larger community with a common purpose: to know, love, and serve God through the revelation of His salvation.
So, what are we called to take away from today's feast? First of all, we are to take to heart the fact that the Gospel of salvation is now at hand. Each of us is called to be children of God, and now He has met us where we are through His Christ and leads us towards being raised to His level through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As in the days of old, the Holy Spirit guides us all towards salvation, enlightening our minds and softening our hearts so that we may receive the gifts of salvation God offers us all. The way that the Spirit does this through the Church is intended to lead us to salvation and is not to be fixated on in isolation from the message of the Gospel. We may fall into the temptation to fixate on the way the Spirit works through the Apostles, drawing the conclusion that if we are not speaking in tongues or having the Holy Spirit fall on us in tongues of fire, then we are not of the same ilk as the early Chruch. Yet this perspective misses the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit fills all that is lacking in us so that we can be one with God, so it is then our call to turn to God to cooperate with Him as He fills what is lacking in us all.
None of us can obtain salvation through our merit or work; salvation is a gift God offers us freely. Thus, it is our call to turn to Him and allow His Spirit to fill what is lacking in us, as He guides us like a gentle breeze in how we are called to be coworkers with God in His vineyard.
This call to be coworkers with God is not just a responsibility but also an empowerment, giving us a role in His divine plan of salvation. This understanding led the early Church to sacrifice so much for the gain they found in their new life in Christ. We, too, need to recognize that we are offered this same gain of eternal life, for in doing so, we continue in the footsteps of all the saints who have come before us.
So, what we must take away from this feast is that God is constantly guiding and working through us through His Holy Spirit. We are all called to be God's coworkers in salvation, for we all can do so. His same Spirit is writing His law of salvation on our hearts, filling what is lacking in us so we may receive the gift of salvation in His loving and saving presence. So it is our call to turn to the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we may receive the rich gifts our Lord offers us as we carry out the call to love and serve Him and His people while standing in His loving and serving presence, for this is the call of all Who turn to Christ.
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