Dear Friends,

Over the course of the next few weeks, the Church invites us to focus on the Divine Persons of the Trinity. The Solemnities of Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity are great opportunities to meditate on the Who God is and His role in our lives.

Last week in the homily, I joked that the Ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost should not be thought of like a moment in tag-team wrestling, where the Second Person retreats to the corner of the ring to tag in the Third Person. Hyperbole for sure, but how should we conceive of this transition between when the Son of Man walks the earth and the Spirit descends at Pentecost? 

First, let us consider that the human body is a limitation. A physical presence, even Jesus’ glorified body, is limited to a time and space location. He cannot be everywhere at once. Second, Jesus’ mission is to be the mediator between God and man, the uniter of what was broken, and in particular to make a perfect offering to the Father in and through our shared humanity. Now that work is accomplished; Jesus is victorious; we are invited to share in that victory.

In a sense, the grander mission of reconciliation moves into a new phase, which would benefit uniquely from the working of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus saw how uniquely fitting it was to entrust that portion of the mission to the Holy Spirit (see Jn 15 - 16). The Spirit can be always present in all locations at all times. For example, His symbols of wind and fire help us to recognize the difference. One can feel the presence of wind but cannot trap or confine it. The wind “blows where it wills.” So too, fire can be observed and felt but not confined or bottled. 

A large part of the Spirit’s mission is to knit us together into the Body of Christ. Last week, we were reminded of our mission: “Building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith” (Eph 4:12-13). The goal of that upbuilding is the “unity of faith” or as Jesus says elsewhere, “that all may be one…that they might be brought to perfection as one” (Jn 17:21, 23).

The Holy Spirit is meant to help us overcome our differences, to be the great uniter. In the Communion of Persons we call the Trinity, the Spirit is the love of the Father and the Son. He is the bond of affection between the First and Second person. So, this role is particularly apt for the Third person, to bring us all together in Christ our Head, through His Bride the Church.

Community Sunday is this weekend. We invite you, not only to worship God together upstairs, but also to head downstairs and share some fellowship. Now, “share fellowship” is one of the phrases from our vision statement, which can be understood in many ways. From sharing a meal or even a cup of coffee, to the much deeper communion between persons, the root of the word fellowship, or koinonia in Greek, takes its root from the relationship among the three Divine Persons. The Father, Son and Spirit exist in perfect fellowship with one another. They are of one mind and heart; no dissension, division, or disunion exists among them.

So, on this beautiful feast of Pentecost, I would invite you to be knit together by the Spirit, and in a special way to welcome our new families who are invited to gather at this Community Sunday. Since January, fourteen new households have joined! Take some time and welcome them, extend a greeting, learn a name, share a story, and be more deeply connected together. This is a wonderful way to celebrate Pentecost and honor the role of the Holy Spirit!

Come Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth!

Fr. Wilson