"TIMES OF REFRESHING" ^_[1]

HALLOWED RELATIONSHIP

1.  From the beginning of creation, God willed that breath and water be indispensable elements of the architecture of the world. For the patriarchs and prophets, water and breath were physical realities, intimately associated with sustaining the inestimable gift of life, however tenuous and fragile it might be:  "Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."  [Gen 2:7]  "As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?"  [Ps 42:1-2]  Their symbolic importance mirrored Israel's recognition that God is the source of these gifts, and that he always offers them in the context of personhood. In the primordial Eden, it was the custom of the Lord God to walk in the Garden at the time of the evening breeze.  [Gen 3:8]  In this way, the Creator hallowed his relationship with his human creatures. From our perspective, the idea of God walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening was remarkable. In the view of Adam and Eve before their fall in sin, it could not have been. Such communion was at the same time natural and a perfect expression of the divine-human association. Alone among the creatures of earth, God created man as person. In his soul, man reflects the spirit-being of God and in his flesh, he expresses the personhood of God: each person'chriss unique identity among all his fellows recalls the sui generis  (Lat. of its own kind)  distinction that the true God is a Trinity of irreducible and immutable persons who dwell in perfect relationship with one another. Personhood, though constitutive of the essence of Creator and human creature, nevertheless is not capable of bearing the weight of sin--understood as any interior or exterior act which impairs the right relationship shared between persons or diminishes its just potential. By yielding to the sin of pride, Adam and Eve cause their relationship with God to collapse. Immediately, they feel shame--the pain of the soul--for having dismembered their vital communion with God:  "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, Where are you?"   [Gen 3:8-9]  They were naked and afraid.  Eve, whose name in Hebrew means mother of all, broke her nuptial relationship with Adam by embracing the self-indulgent misanthropy of the Evil One. Hence, every generation following hers was shrouded in darkness. Adam, whose name means mankind, tragically betrayed the human race  (his namesake)  because he broke relationship with God--simultaneously forfeiting his intercessory ministry as well--by preferring a communion of sin with Eve. Thus, as mankind and creation was just beginning and poised on the eve of glory, day became night through their idolatry.

HUNGER TO RETURN

2.  Accordingly, God withdrew his spirit from them. The world cried out in pain for the "spirit of wisdom and understanding", but there was none. The people sought the spirit of counsel and might, but it could not be found. The spirit of knowledge hid its face. Righteousness and the fear of the Lord were unknown upon the earth.  [cf. Isa 11:2-5]  So it came to pass, inescapably, that in the heart of every human being, indeed in the soul of every generation, there has existed a longing, a hunger to return to God, to share in his spirit once again. Man was not utterly alone, however, for  "...when we were lost, and could not find the way to (God), you loved us more than ever".^[2] Over time, the Lord informed his chosen people through the prophets: On a privileged day of God's own choosing, at a favorable time known only to him, he will visit his people; he will send justice and mercy to encircle the earth. God will judge the world and its deeds of history; he will lead his people to a place of safety. On that day is this day! God's Word is proclaimed today! What is proclaimed by God must be received by man. On this day of the Solemnity of Pentecost, Jesus Christ offers to mankind the incomparable gift of his Holy Spirit. On this day, God sends forth his Holy Spirit to make its home in the Church founded on solid rock; he will overcome sin and disbelief and bind the ruler of this world for judgment. The Spirit of God will deliver the Church and the gospel into righteousness; he will never be withdrawn from the world; to the contrary, the Spirit will prepare the world for judgment by exposing sin and revealing righteousness. The Spirit will restore and make sacred all who follow Christ; whether least or greatest, every vessel of cracked clay will be made new and pour forth a "spring of water welling up to eternal life".  [Jn 4:14]  On that day, Gods chosen people are no longer regarded as a stronghold of ruins, Gods chosen people will form a glorious temple of the Holy Spirit. On that day, says the Lord:  "I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God."   [Eze 11:19-20]  The Holy Spirit is the "rush of a mighty wind".  [Acts 2:2] The Spirit is Gods primordial and creative fire. The Spirit will confer peace upon every virtuous disciple and nation under heaven. Yet, for all this, the Paraclete is the power of sheer silence, the inspiration of Christ assembling his Church to "receive the Holy Spirit"!  [Jn 20:22] 

PRAYER FOR AWAKENING

3.  Pentecost, traditionally celebrated fifty days after the first day of the Passover observance, is the Hebrew feast of weeks also known as the feast of first fruits. On this Jewish day of celebration, the apostles, Mary, and other followers received the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit in whom Christ remains with the Church "always, to the close of the age".  [Mt 28:20]  The Church--as it is today, was then, and shall be forever--shares in the gifts of the Holy Spirit:  "...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control".  [Gal 5:22-23]  The apostles, acting as though spiritually naked, hide behind locked doors. Jesus reveals himself and calms their fear with his gentle greeting, peace be with you.  [cf. Jn 20:19]  Not recognizing Jesus at first, the apostles rejoice in astonishment when their eyes are opened. The Lord's subsequent gift of peace to the Twelve confers the defining mark of Christian communion until the end of time. He entrusts the sacramental ministry of reconciliation to the apostles in whom the hegemony of nakedness and fear is overthrown. From the beginning of time, our Lord Jesus Christ willed that living water and the breath of life be indispensable elements of the architecture of salvation. For the followers of Jesus Christ, water and breath are spiritual realities, intimately associated with the inestimable gift of eternal life:  "He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water. Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive."  [Jn 7:38-39]  Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit."   [Jn 20:21-22]  To live inspired lives, to profess Jesus is Lord!, we must breathe the Holy Spirit each day. More than mere words, our yes to God must reveal itself in steadfast discipleship, that is to say, the eloquent testimony of springs of living water  [cf. Rev 7:17]: true worship, heartfelt reconciliation, habitual prayer and self-effacing benevolence. Heavenly Father, we pray that you fill the Church with times of refreshing  [cf. Acts 3:19]  on this Solemnity of Pentecost. Awaken your people to the dawn of a new day. May your Spirit enrich us with faith, hope, and love, so that all of our thoughts, all of the words we speak, and everything we do, will bring us to the joy of everlasting life. Holy Spirit, strengthen our families with gentleness and compassion. Holy Spirit, inspire us to strive for unity at all times and humble ourselves whenever we have wronged one another. Holy Spirit, gather all who bear your name into one body free from strife and division. Teach us to walk confidently with our Lord Jesus Christ in his peace, in the garden of his beloved Church, in the cool of the evening breeze. Amen.