in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
Our first reading
today takes up where it left off yesterday, with Saint Peter’s first preaching
to the crowds on that Pentecost Sunday. The people, who had been drawn to the
place by the sound of the Holy Spirit rushing through the Upper Room, heard his
new interpretation of recent events. Suddenly, what had been rumor
and gossip about ghostly sightings became personal. The ludicrous became
logical and the risible, reliable.
The Lord who had
always loved and favored Jerusalem, who had always excoriated them through the
prophets for their infidelity, had sent his only begotten son. Typically, they
had ignored, rejected, despised and finally destroyed that Just One; but God raised
him up and revealed him as the Son of God, the Messiah! through the preaching of Peter and the testimony of the
Holy Spirit.
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to
the heart…”
Faith in Jesus begins
with the awareness of sin and repentance. It is not simple persuasion, the
exchange of one opinion for another.
Faith proceeds with joy and gratitude as the sinner realizes
she has always been loved and always been favored. She sees the light at last. She
surrenders all hostility, suspicion and resentment; she accepts the forgiving,
healing rush of the Holy Spirit into her heart.
Unlike the turn from one opinion to another, the exchange of
ideas for other ideas, faith requires this daily awareness of my sinful tendencies and habitual self-centeredness. But, rather than shame and horror for my wretched life, faith teaches me
daily gratitude for God's mercy; and habitual joy in God's presence.
Faith is like breathing. I may not be immediately aware of
it all the time but I cannot live without it. There are certainly moments when strong
emotions seem to displace my faith. But I have not stopped breathing during
those episodes, neither have I stopped believing in God. When the moment passes
and I regain my characteristic calm, I see the Lord still abiding in my heart.
The trauma of Good Friday has passed. The Lord has been
raised. Emmanuel, our God, is with us.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.