What Part of The Body Is You? . . . Pentecost Sunday
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Pentecost Sunday - May 28th, 2023 (Click Here for Readings)
Pentecost was the pivotal time for the beginning of the Christian church and its program for evangelization ordered by Jesus. It was the point of transition where Jesus, who had been present in the flesh, would now be present in His Spirit.
The sound of the strong driving wind was necessary to prepare the disciples in the upper room to receive the Holy Spirit. Following this shock, the gentleness of its flame rested upon them in tranquility. It melted their hearts, burned up the dross and kindled the affections of their souls. The flame also signified the permanent residence of the Holy Spirit within them, equipping them with the needed endurance for the challenges ahead of spreading the Gospel.
The disciples’ ability to speak to the Jews and proselytes in multiple languages amazed and pleased the people. They displayed how God could choose the small and weak to confound the wise and mighty. Their words were kind and engaged the Jews’ affections, all orchestrated by the mind and will of God.
Though there were doubters and scoffers among the crowd, it is well worth our while to read the rest of Acts (2:12-42) leading up to the conversion of about 3,000 people on this day.
In the same way the disciples received the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to preach the Gospel to all nations in all languages, we also have been empowered to evangelize in our own unique individual ways.
St. Paul tells the Corinthians in our second reading that we’ve all been given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit to evangelize. For some of us, it may be the ability to preach as the disciples did on that first Pentecost. And for the rest of us, many other ways to evangelize by different types of service and works.
If we’re not certain where we can fill the parts of Christ’s body where we’re needed most, we need to pray for the discernment to know where we'd be of value. There are many things we can probably do pretty well, but none of them may be the one great thing God has made us to do extremely well. Let us not get caught up in too many parts of Christ’s body, or we may never find out. See our post, Are You a Jack of All Ministries?
There may be over-doing even in well-doing, a being righteous over-much; and such an over-doing as may prove an undoing through the subtlety of Satan... Matthew Henry
For more reflections on the Sunday readings, Go Here
