Homily for the Solemnity of Pentecost

In an article featured in the November/December 2014 issue of Maryknoll Magazine, Maryknoll Missionary Sr. Janet Hockman shares a heartwarming story about the Sunday prayer gatherings of the parishioners of St. Paul's in the village of Tinak, located in the small Pacific island of Arno Atoll. Despite the unavailability of a priest to conduct the Mass on some Sundays, the community's prayer leaders step up to prepare the day's services, seek readers, and lead everyone in singing hymns.

Impaired eyesight is a common problem on the island due to limited diets and intense sun glare. The simple church's lack of electrical lighting exacerbates the issue.

On a Sunday, a woman named Marguerite led the prayer service, while her husband Anjua was one of the readers. During the service, when Anjua stood up to read, he approached Marguerite to borrow her glasses. After he finished reading, his brother Airmail borrowed the glasses from Anjua to read next. Airmail later returned the glasses to Marguerite for the remainder of the service.

The pair of glasses, shared within the community, spoke powerfully of God's love as much as their prayers did.

Like that pair of glasses shared by a family and community, the Spirit of God is a lens through which we recognize God's love in the midst of our homes and hearths, our communities and villages. 

The presence of the Spirit we celebrate today enables us to recognize what is good, right, ethical, true, and of lasting worth, guiding us on our journeys to God.

The Spirit of God calls upon us to acknowledge and appreciate our connection with God and with each other. It allows us to express our beliefs that we sometimes hesitate to put into words. It gives us the strength and elegance to pursue the dreams that we might be too doubtful or anxious to aspire toward.

May the Spirit of God, the creative breath of the Holy One, always dwell within our hearts, enlivening us with His love and filling us with hope. May this light illuminate the possibilities of bringing the promise of Jesus' Resurrection into our homes and hearts, like the first light of dawn dispelling the shadows of night.