The Fruits of the Spirit

Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, so named because it comes 50 days after Easter (“pente” is Greek for “fifty”).  In the Jewish calendar, the Feast of Shauvot (Weeks) comes 50 days after Passover. Shauvot commemorates the giving of the Law to Moses. As the second of the three great agricultural feasts of the Jewish calendar, it is a holiday when all Jewish men were obligated to present themselves to the temple in Jerusalem, bringing with them the first fruits of the summer harvest to offer to the Lord in thanksgiving for his gift of the Torah. It was this holiday that Mary and the apostles were celebrating in the upper room when they had a surprise guest.

            The Holy Spirit.

            Maybe they shouldn’t have been surprised.  After all, it had only been a few short days since they had seen Jesus ascend into heaven.  And it had been only seven weeks since their friend had come back from the dead.  Really, at this point anything was possible.  And he had told them he would send them a helper, an advocate.  Someone to accompany them and strengthen them.  They’re thinking maybe an angel?  Or one of the prophets? Or maybe they weren’t thinking about it at all. Maybe they had stopped hoping for anything at all.

            Instead, they got the Third Person of the Trinity. Tongues of fire. Driving wind. The ability to speak and understand languages they didn’t know. And a new commandment, to love one another as Jesus had loved them. Did it begin to make sense, then, what Jesus had said about being the fulfilment of the Law? No more trying to make it on their own. Jesus had shown them the way, and now he had sent his Spirit to accompany them on the journey. To draw them together, rather than apart, to unite them and encourage them and yes, astonish them.
That is how the Church was born. That is how the Church continues to be born. In thanksgiving, we offer to the Lord the first fruits of ourselves, knowing our gifts will be accepted in love. As the Lord loves us, so may we continue to love one another.

Come, Holy Spirit, and kindle in us the fire of your love.