And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were…And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
Several years ago, I was doing some shopping at the Roosevelt Field Mall on a Saturday evening. Walking through one of the main concourses, I suddenly heard people yelling and then I saw what appeared to be the entire population of the mall running in my direction. In order to not get caught up in a stampede, I ran also and exited the mall at the nearest doorway. As we assembled outside in the parking lot, I heard someone say that shots had been fired in the mall, thus the panicked departure of so many. Thankfully, that report was untrue. The source of the chaos was a large fight in the food court. The crowds running from that area, as well as the noise of tables and chairs being knocked over, were mistakenly believed to be a result of gunfire. It was an experience I never want to know again.
The next morning, I was still thinking about the incident and how quickly a disconnected group of shoppers were assembled into a united and powerful wave of people. No one questioned why we were running; there was a force that we did not know impelling us to do so. This experience was an antithesis of the Pentecost experience which we recount today, a crowd of disconnected people being united together by a previously unrecognized spirit, one brought together through a spirit of evil origin and one with divine intention.
I don’t think this mall event would have occurred a decade or so ago, at least to that degree. But as a society, we are now prepared for such moments, and all it takes is a little spark to transform a disconnected crowd of shoppers into a well-formed running mob. In a polar opposite way, before the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, the Pentecost event also would not have occurred. Because of the Pascal Mystery, however, the apostles and crowds were prepared for such a moment, and all it took was the spark of the Holy Spirit to animate this crowd into becoming the Church.
Why are we called to faithfully come to the celebration of the Eucharist each week? We do it so that we may be pre-conditioned to continue to receive that same Holy Spirit we received at Baptism and Confirmation. In a world in which evil has become so evident, we need to be exposed even more to the reconciling and resurrecting power of God.
Sadly, we have been pre-conditioned to prepare for and react to previously unfathomable evil. Not only are we prepared to accept that gunshots are being fired in a shopping mall, but we have also accepted the possibility of far worse as the norm. This pre-conditioning for an onslaught of evil has also made us much more short-tempered, leery of unknown people and suspicious of leaders. In so many ways, we are ready to “snap.”
Today, on Pentecost, we mark the occasion of the birth of the Church; a beginning sparked by the Holy Spirit and prepared for by the good work that had already begun. As we celebrate this solemnity which concludes the Easter season, let us receive that Holy Spirit in our lives once again so that we may be enlivened, not as a frightened mob -but a community of believers, ministers of mercy and a living sign of the passionate love of Jesus Christ. Throughout the season of Easter, we have been pre-conditioned not to snap at the presence of evil but to be animated to transform our world. Through the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit, we receive the power to prevail over and not run from evil.
CAMPS ‘R’ US – This summer we are excited to welcome Camps ‘R’ Us Summer Day Camp to St. Rose of Lima for its inaugural summer season at St. Rose. Camps ‘R’ Us is Long Island’s neighborhood summer day camp, family- owned and operated with 10 campuses located on the grounds of Catholic Parishes and Schools. The camp offers an array of sports, arts & crafts, gaming, field trips and more. Enrollment for this first season at St. Rose has already exceeded expectations, and we are happy to say there is still room for more. Camps ‘R’ Us also offers employment opportunities for teachers as well as college and graduate students studying and/or working in early childhood, secondary or physical education. They also employ high school and college students. Please go to https://www.campsrus.org/ for more information on enrollment and job opportunities.
WEAR YOUR SUNDAY BEST – As we begin what will hopefully be warmer days, I wanted to take a moment to encourage good decision-making when dressing for church. Some time ago, while having a meal at a casual restaurant, I saw a man wearing a T-Shirt that said, “I wore a tank top to (name of restaurant.)” It seems that the man was not allowed to dine wearing a tank top and was, therefore, compelled to wear the T-Shirt. I was amazed that he willingly wore a self-deprecating shirt so he could eat at a simple pub. I could only imagine what the reaction would be if our churches had such a policy. It is good for all of us to remember that our church is a place of sacred worship, and appropriate dress is a sign of reverence. I particularly expect that Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Ushers, Musicians and Altar Servers will exemplify these expectations.
Peace,
