Please note: My homily for Pentecost Sunday makes reference to readings from both the Vigil Mass and the Mass of the day. Therefore the link above directs you to both sets of readings.
Imagine,
if you will, a time when you were made speechless because of what was
happening around you. It may be because you saw something so amazing
or perhaps so beautiful that you were at a loss for words. Something
might have also surprised you or perhaps even frightened you into
being speechless, though I hope it wasn't the latter. We get into
situations sometimes where we just can't find the proper words. We
don't know how to describe how we are feeling right at the moment,
nor can we explain any better later on.
I
had an experience like that when I had the amazing opportunity to go
to the Holy Land three years ago. One of the places that we visited
was the room that tradition says is the Upper Room where Jesus met
with His disciples for the Last Supper. Tradition also says that
this was the room where the Apostles were gathered when the Holy
Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. I believe I have described being
there before in a homily, but please allow me the chance to describe
it once again.
The
room itself is not all that spectacular; in fact it is really quite
simple. There are several Gothic style arches around the room, held
up by some Roman style columns. Most, if not all of the columns and
arches are not original to the place, but were probably added by the
crusaders who made it into church. And it would have been a small
church at that, as the room is smaller than most parish churches.
There is very little color in the room: mostly gray, white, and brown
colored stones and the white of plaster on the walls and ceiling.
Sometime in the 15th
Century, the Muslims took over that place and made it into a mosque.
They installed a stained glass window that is often found in mosques
with blue and green and words in Arabic.
I
mention all of this to explain that with all the changes and
remodeling that have happened to this room, there is really nothing
left in the room to suggest that anything special or that any
miracles took place there. If it weren't for our tour guide telling
us where we were, we could have easily passed through the room
thinking it nothing more than an interesting study in medieval
architecture. The room itself is unremarkable. Yet, I experienced
something in that room that still leaves me speechless when I attempt
to put it into words.
I
was fortunate to go on this pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Fr. Mike
Schmitz from our diocese. He had been there a few times before then,
so he was able to add some wonderful reflections and insights from
Catholic tradition and spirituality that we might not have had
otherwise. When our tour guide had explained that we were in the
Upper Room and had reminded us of what had taken place there, Fr.
Mike asked our group to lay hands on me and pray for me. He
explained that there is a tradition there for priests to be prayed
over in this room by the people. This is the room of the Last
Supper, which means it is the birthplace of the Eucharist. Since
Jesus gave the Apostles the commandment to “do this in memory of
me”, which all priests do on a regular basis, it is also the
birthplace of the priesthood. In addition, the Holy Spirit came upon
the Apostles in that room just as He comes upon the clergy when we
were ordained. So it is quite appropriate that a priest be prayed
over in the place were it all started. As they finished praying over
me, I couldn't quite explain how I felt, and as I mentioned before I
still can't. I can say that there was a feeling of peace, knowing of
the support I had of those around me and just being in awe of where I
was.
That
wasn't the only significant thing that happened there, however.
After praying over me, we spread out in the room to look around and
to take some time for personal prayer. At the same time, a group of
men came in and started looking around as well. It turned out that
this was a men's choral group and they had decided elsewhere that
they would sing one of their songs in the room. Once they had all
spread out, one of the men started singing, “Ubi
caritas, et amor. Ubi caritas, Deus ibi est.”
The other twenty or so men began joining in, while adding various
tenor, baritone, and bass parts. The Latin words mean, “Where
charity and love prevail, there God exists”. It refers for to the
events of the Last Supper and Christ's commandment to love one
another, but it is also appropriate for Pentecost since the Holy
Spirit is the spirit of love. As I heard these words I was again
speechless, but filled with the peace and love of God. The words so
beautifully sung seemed to hang in the air like a sweet and pleasant
perfume.
Sometimes
God leaves us speechless. Sometimes we are just blown away by the
beauty of something. Sometimes it is the power and the glory of God
that amazes us. Much like a parent who has to punish their child so
that they have to think about what they have done, so also God has to
put us in our place. Hopefully at those times we learn to stop our
speech so that we can learn something. At other times, however, God,
the Holy Spirit comes upon us and inspires us to speak; to no longer
be speechless but to speak to those around us about our faith and
belief in Jesus Christ our Lord and to preach the Good News to all.
Such
is the illustration that God wishes to show us, I believe. For
today, the Feast of Pentecost, is often seen as the day that reversed
what happened at the Tower of Babel. It was at the Tower that God
punished the people for their pride and selfishness of wanting to
make a name for themselves by confusing their language. God was
putting them in their place and made them speechless. At Pentecost,
however, God heals that rift in humanity by sending the Holy Spirit
and prompting St. Peter and the rest of the Apostles to speak all the
languages of all the people who were there so that they could
understand what was being said. Now the Good News of Jesus isn't
just for those who speak Hebrew, but all people from all nations.
Pentecost is an amazing Feast Day, but we are not to remain
speechless. Rather, we are to rejoice and tell others what we know.
Tell them our Easter proclamation: Christ is Risen, Alleluia!
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