Years ago, the Chad Mitchell Trio sang, “Oh, there’s rioting in Africa, starving in Spain; there are hurricanes in Florida and Texas needs rain. … the Arabs hate the Jews and the Jews hate the Arabs, and I don’t like anybody very much.” Unfortunately, our world is no better with millions of refugees fleeing war in places like Syria, Iraq, Libya and South Sudan. People continue to hate. Fortunately, there is less starvation than there was in the 1960s.

That brings me to Pentecost, today’s feast. Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early Christian community. The Holy Spirit transformed them from fearful people into bold witnesses to Jesus Christ and his resurrection. They followed Jesus in the love of God and neighbor. The Holy Spirit opened their eyes to see that all peoples, even those they considered enemies, were called to be their brothers and sisters in Christ. The chaos of sin and selfishness, symbolized in the Tower of Babel story, is overcome by the power of God’s love poured out through the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit we can learn to understand and love those who are very different from ourselves in language and culture. Through the Spirit “we, though many, are one body in Christ.” He alone is the
way to peace and reconciliation in a broken world. May we become witnesses to his peace and love in our families, our community and our world.

Fr. John