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Year A: Pentecost Sunday First Reading: Acts 2: 1-11 In contrast with the Gospel, the Coming of the Spirit in this Reading is dramatic. This Coming fills the disciple to overflowing. The combined effects of the preparation by Jesus - His life - His death - His resurrection - all their prayer following His ascension - all come together now as the Spirit sweeps aside any misgivings and apprehensions and transforms their lives with power. This is the Divine Breath of God that gave birth to Creation. This is the Spirit who is constantly re-creating the world and it peoples. This is the Spirit who seldom takes no for an answer! Most of us do not encounter the Spirit in this mood - and some of us are probably quite thankful for that! Many of us would quite like to - but are not sure. We would quite like the experience - but are not sure we would like the consequences. We sense that, once we have allowed the Spirit so fully into our lives, we shall never be the same - and are not sure whether we could live with the difference let alone anyone else! Will we become fanatics? What will we be asked to do? The doubts get in the way. We feel that, if the Spirit wanted to fill us then it would. We may look back at our Confirmation and feel that nothing really happened... and believe that this means that God does not do such great and dramatic things with people like us any more. Yet, for some, it is clear that the Spirit is very much alive and at work in them. They would not claim to be special - but all were open to whatever happened. Usually, they like the disciples, had come to know Jesus through the Gospels and had predisposed themselves to the coming of the Spirit through prayer... They wanted to be filled - and were prepared to pray - and to mean “Come, Holy Spirit....” What does it mean for me?
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