Father Thomas Welbers' Homily	Jump back to Homily Index
Solemnity of the Pentecost, June 8, 2003 Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23	Listen to Audio

The signs and wonders that accompanied the preaching of the apostles on that first day of Pentecost . . . where are they now? They spoke with power and were understood in a variety of languages. Why can’t we do that now? Last week, when we celebrated the Solemnity of the Ascension, we heard the parting words of Jesus in St. Mark’s Gospel: “These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

When was the last time you did any of those things? No, I haven’t either. But I believe in Jesus and accept him as my Lord and Savior – as do you. I believe in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and in the gifts of the Spirit – as do you. Yet, why aren’t these things that Jesus promised, and the things we read that the Apostles did when the Holy Spirit came, why aren’t they happening now?

I think there may be two right answers to that question, and at least one wrong answer. The wrong answer is the one that’s traditionally given – that these gifts were only found in the beginning of the Church, and that God did not intend them to continue through the ages. There’s simply no evidence to indicate that was God’s intention. Jesus never said that only the first generation of his followers would experience these gifts – too bad about us who came later. One might just as well say that Jesus didn’t mean what he said, and I surely don’t believe that’s the case. Jesus did mean what he said – that’s the only reason for me to be here or for you to be here.

So what are the right answers? Why don’t we experience now the wonders that Jesus promised or the power of the Apostles’ preaching on Pentecost? I said there were two right answers.

The first answer is another question. Do we really want that power? Are we willing enough to give up our own control in order to receive that power? In order to have power over demons, whatever they may be, we have to first confront them, not run away and hide. And the first demon that we have to confront is our own insecurity, our own need to have control. It’s only when we step forth in faith, beyond where we feel secure, that we will experience the power. Most of us want assurance first, then we will say yes. Jesus asks us to say yes first, and only then gives us understanding and the experience of power. Perhaps, we don’t experience the power of the Holy Spirit because, when it comes right down to the bottom line, we don’t really believe in it, or trust in it – or want it.

The second answer is also a question. Could it be that power we read about is active today, maybe even in our own lives, and we are just not seeing it? Could we be missing the universal language that we already have the power to speak? Notice that, in the Acts of the Apostles, the coming of the Holy Spirit gives the apostles preaching the power to be understood in many languages, and in John’s Gospel the Holy Spirit gives them the power of forgiveness. Could the two actually be the same thing?

Consider for a moment your own experience of forgiveness; what does it feel like to be forgiven for a wrong that you did to someone? If you read the Gospels, there is no commandment that Jesus gives more frequently than the combination of love of enemies and forgiveness of those who have wronged us. Both are so difficult that it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to do them.

The universal language, the one that everybody in whole world understands, is the language of love and forgiveness. Because we have the Holy Spirit, it is within our power to become fluent in this language. The language of self-giving love and forgiveness does not come naturally. If we want to learn it, we have to ask the Holy Spirit to teach us.

© Thomas Welbers, 2003