Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

Pentecost, 2010

The New Testament has two stories of the coming of the Spirit, one in the gospel of John, the other in the Acts of the Apostles. In their details, the stories differ on when the event took place, who was there, and what form the Spirit’s coming took.

But, taking the two accounts together, it is clear that the coming of the Holy Spirit has to do with empowering the community of disciples to take on a mission (bring forgiveness and reconciliation) and proclaim a message (the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and rising).

Sometimes we may feel that, as individuals or as a church, we haven’t fulfilled the mission or delivered the message very well. After two millennia there’s still too much violence, and many people still haven’t heard the gospel. Maybe we are still learning how to do the work of proclamation and reconciliation. The reassuring truth, however, is that the Holy Spirit stays with us, helping us do better at the job God has entrusted to us.