Reflection for Sunday – May 24, 2026

Irene GoodwinSunday Readings Homilies

Readings: Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13; John 20: 19-23 
Preacher: Irene Goodwin

This week I talked with a young man from Puerto Rico.  He shared with me how difficult life had become after Hurricane Maria and the decision to come to the United States. The wind had caused the complete destruction of his home and community. Wind can cause life changing events.  We cannot see the wind, but we can feel it, we can hear it and we certainly see what it may leave behind. 

The word Ruah appears many times in the Hebrew text, representing something powerful and, like the wind, uncontrollable and free. In Christian tradition, it relates to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, like the wind cannot be seen, we may not feel it. However, if we take time for prayerful reflection, we may be more aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence and what it leaves behind.

Today we celebrate Pentecost, with readings of two different times of the sending of the Spirit. However, we even find the Spirit in Scripture a third time.  The first time is at Jesus’ death. In John (19:30 ) we read: “When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.”  The second account is in our Gospel for today which is later on the day of Jesus’ resurrection. We hear how the disciples were hiding in the upper room. Jesus appears through locked doors and offers them gifts.  Gifts of peace and power to forgive sins.  The third time is from our first reading from Acts.  It is on Feast of Pentecost.  Pentecost was a Jewish feast celebrated 7 weeks or 50 days after the feast of unleavened bread.

 It was a pilgrim feast so there were many in Jerusalem. This is Lukes’s account of the coming of the Spirit, 50 days after the Resurrection. Here we read of the difference it made in the life of Jesus’ disciples.  Nothing was the same after that day. On that day the disciples overcame their fear. Also, when the disciples spoke, all understood them no matter what language they spoke.

We still have the issue of why do we have three different accounts of the sending of the Holy Spirit?   We may ask when was the true event? Today, Pentecost may be less about the miracle and more about our recognizing the universal presence of the Holy Spirit.

 Jesus told us the Spirit is with us always. Do we take the time to recognize those moments?  Our Church has named special moments where the Spirit is evident.  We call them Sacraments. It is hard to believe that God’s Spirit is not with every infant born.  Perhaps at a Baptism we are taking the time to name that reality.  The same with Confirmation or Marriage or even Reconciliation.  In those moments we recognize what God is already doing in our lives.  These are special moments in our lives.  However, the Holy Spirit is with us always; what does that mean for us today?

Last year on Pentecost, Pope Leo XIV wrote that Pentecost overcame the breach that began in Bable.

He said that the Spirit still opens borders.  This happens when we open our hearts to love and allow the gift of Love that is between the Father and Jesus to live in us. When we allow our hearts to be open, the Spirit will tear down walls of indifference and hate.

Because it is so easy to focus on the hate and indifference we see around us, it is important to name the good moments where God’s love is expressed by ordinary people.

We most often notice the presence of the Spirit when the gifts of the spirit are used. In our second reading we are told the spirit is given to everyone. “To each individual the manifestation of the spirit is given for some benefit.”  Most of us do not recognize our own gifts but they are expressed whenever love is expressed through action.  It may be taking care of family, neighbors or co-workers.  It may be doing any acts that promote peace and justice in our homes, community or world. Small acts of kindness can go a long way to change our world for the better.

When I was talking with the young man from Puerto Rico who lost his home and homeland, it seemed that the Spirit was very active in his life. He came to Rochester and was welcomed.  In fact, he was loved by a community that supported him as he began his new life. Borders were broken and he now uses his gift of language as he helps newcomers to our area who might otherwise struggle with a language barrier.

Irene Goodwin
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