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PENTECOST
The word
'Pentecost' comes from the Greek; it simply means
'fiftieth'. Pentecost Sunday ends the season of
Easter; it is the Sabbath day after a week's worth
of weeks (7 x 7 = 49). |
During the season following Pentecost, the church
looks back at the fasting of Lent and the feast of
the Resurrection by recounting the important
conversations that occur as the church emerges and
evolves into a community. As it moves from a
loose band of followers to a recognized gathering of
Christians, biblical conversations between Jesus and
those he meets deepen the ensuing transformation.
The church needs to retell these stories for its
life to be sustained. The image of a sacred
conversation grounds God and the human story in a
partnership in which revelation grows out of
relationship. Whenever two or three gather,
the liturgy becomes the setting for this sacred
conversation to occur among the faithful.
Whenever the liturgy happens, a conversation about
things sacred takes place.
The Pentecost
conversation takes today's local church beyond
itself. This spirited conversation has many
languages and perspectives, all within the context
of a diverse and equalized community. It is
only in the sacred conversation of the liturgy that
the church welcomes the voices that are no longer
alive. To be a whole and universal church, the
faithful disciples of this day need the voices of
the church throughout the ages and across the
continents.
Summertime is
looked forward to, yet the church, during this
season, is also looking back by returning to sacred
texts, sacred music, and sacred rites. These
human expressions allow the Holy Spirit to
intercede, to break into, and to transform the here
and now by a sacred conversation with the Holy One of
Israel. |
