GROW AS A DISCIPLE
The Solemnity of Pentecost is about the gift of the Spirit in our lives. St. Paul reminds us that despite the variety of gifts we have received, we are one Body. To make sense of this, consider that on a human level, some of us are introverts, while others are extroverts. Each personality type has particular gifts and struggles. Sometimes, our differing personality types can grate on each other, causing tension. And yet, how often do others who are our “opposites” remind us of truths we often forget? (Speaking as an extrovert, I need introverts to remind me that you can often learn more from quiet listening than talking out loud.) So, too, with spiritual gifts! As we consider the ways God has gifted each of us, let us remember that the differences between us have a specific purpose: to equip all of us to grow and experience the fullness of life in Christ.
GO EVANGELIZE
In our first reading, we see that the Holy Spirit enables the disciples to speak in languages they did not know. While they were given an extraordinary spiritual gift to do so, today’s missionaries serving in foreign lands must learn the local language to effectively minister among the people they serve. No matter where we find ourselves, perhaps we, too, can learn a new “language,” or find new ways to live our faith and share the Gospel. Effective evangelization happens when we can look to the “signs of the times” and propose, “in language intelligible to each generation,” that Jesus Christ is the answer to the “perennial questions” which arise in each human heart. (Gaudium et spes 4)
INVITATION
The word Catholic comes from a Greek word meaning, “according to the whole” or “universal.” As we see in today’s first reading, from the beginning of our Church, the Spirit’s desire was to gather people of every nation, tribe, and tongue into the one Body of the Church. The Catholic Church is a global communion, consisting of the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Churches that worship according to their particular rite, customs, and language. Each of these Churches has unique spiritual gifts that enrich the wider Church. Plan to visit another Catholic Church in your area that worships in a different language or rite than your own to experience the manifold gifts of the Spirit that exist in every place where the Church is.
By The Faithful Disciple