Homily for the Morning Mass on Pentecost Sunday
Readings for Year A: Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 103; I Corinthians 12:3-13; John 20:19-23
Strange times people are still saying so often in e-mails, letters, on the ‘phone. But there are signs, at least here in central London, that we are beginning to emerge from this crisis, at least for now, to encounter whatever is to be that much hailed “new normal”. Certainly more people are out and about and there’s a general feel of moving into a new phase. And that’s a good feeling for so many. I do appreciate, as some have told me, that many have really been appreciating the isolation too, so recognise that coming back into the outside world may not be pleasant. But whatever our feelings, and despite it being far from over yet, we’re beginning to move out of a time of isolation and introspection into the “new normal”. And we may even in the coming weeks be given the green light to open the church. Let’s hope and pray for that.
So coming out of a time of introspection and isolation, of great suffering for many, grief, anxiety. I’ve heard people speak about their hearts and minds turning to wonder what life is all about. There’s a lot of discussion among sociologists, environmentalists, thinkers, people of faith, about what we’re learning from this. What has this time taught us about ourselves, about our vulnerability, frailty, our powerlessness in the face of something much greater than ourselves? Our interconnectedness as the human race. And yet the inequality where the poorest are most badly hit. Our desire for the Eucharist, the emergence of a new domestic Church, and the new Massgoers joining the livestreaming. And yet the pain of not receiving and the realisation we need to meet together to be Church. The generosity of the human spirit in care workers, people like our volunteers working tirelessly in Trafalgar Square with the homeless. The good spirit inspiring us to do so much to bring the Kingdom to this earth. And yet the bad spirit too turning us in on ourselves and against each other. Yes, it’s a time of paradoxes and learning, of sadness and newly revealed joy and peace, of the cross and of resurrection hope. A time of confusion waiting for the much promised new life – no “new normal” in fact but a new world.
The first Christians were in the midst of times of great confusion too. Here in today’s Gospel we encounter them from different parts of the world rubbing shoulders with so many different ethnic groups and searching for truth, struggling to win their freedom, in the melting pot of Roman occupied Jerusalem, conscious of the Jewish religion with its laws, customs, scriptures and heritage from which we come and finding a way to be authentic to the truth that only comes with Jesus Christ’s kingdom on this earth. But now he is gone and confusion is in the air in the streets, in the house churches around the city, in the newly born Christian family.
We’re surely called to attend carefully to the Pentecost experience, 50 days after the resurrection when the Holy Spirit is sent into the world to be our helper amid the confusion, the struggle to believe and live according to the values of his Kingdom, to proclaim with our lives truth, love, hope. What do we notice happens on this birthday of our Church?
Firstly, everyone’s invited. That’s tough because many might feel excluded for different reasons, but the message is that no one is left out: that’s what makes the Church truly Catholic. Secondly, everyone can understand each other: another ideal which is hard to live up to, especially in our times of confusion and distorted news. But this is a total reversal of Babel where all were confused and unable to understand each other. Pentecost represents what is really possible for our world. A world where everyone is afforded the dignity they deserve as children of God – all are treated with fairness and justice in equal measure. And where peoples of different views, different backgrounds, different places, understand each other, putting an end to confusion and embracing our interconnectedness as the human race sharing this one planet created and sustained by the one God.
As we move into new chapters it’s worth thinking on this great feast which takes us back to the very beginnings of the Church how we understand our role, our mission, our calling in our world? My role, our role, our personal call and responsibility? Every single one of us. To draw others in? To unite in One Body? And to break down barriers to understand each other.
What are the barriers even between ourselves as Catholics? And what are the opportunities for building bridges? There are surely many opportunities. Here at Farm Street: This beautiful church building, so wonderfully restored in so many ways over the last few years, adorned with inspiring artwork, blessed with beautiful sacred music and musical and liturgical diversity, a powerhouse of prayer, provides for what we do as a united faith community gathered together, with worship and the celebration of the Mass at its heart, and the Church global and local is always called to be missionary, to be apostolic, sent out to bring in more to our one Catholic body which is the Body of Christ in all its diversity – and what we celebrate today at Pentecost is that unity in our diversity yet unity in mission to respond to the call to be sent out in the Spirit to bring Christ to our world.
Pentecost teaches wherever we come from we are part of that one Body and have a role in carrying out that mission. We have such a rich diversity in unity here: from the young adult ministry, the diocesan LGBT ministry who are rooted in our parish community, seekers, the Landings programme for returning Catholics or those who aren’t sure they can belong, Jesuit Centre attenders, the SVP, night shelter and Trafalgar Square homeless hub, prayer groups, and you could go on and on. Whoever, wherever we’re from, we are called to be part of that one Body sent out in the Spirit. The Church present here, a real symbol of the Church universal. Called to be a powerhouse of mission and of service. And we yearn for the day when we are permitted to meet again in person and be that community again. It will be different though. There will be much we have learned from these last few months and will continue to learn. I hope and pray this time will make us stronger and more ready than ever to share that message of meaning in life and hope for the next the first Christians were imbued with through the gifts of the Spirit.
On this Pentecost Day Jesus wishes to bestow the gifts of the Spirit on us again so we may use them to spread the peace and joy of the Gospel in a world which in her confusion is surely crying out to hear the consolation of the truth again.
Fr Dominic Robinson SJ