During a wedding ceremony, there is no need to ask anyone to be joyful. The joyful ones are the bride and the groom, their parents, siblings, members of the family, friends, colleagues, coworkers – indeed, everyone. They are authentically joyful during the Church ceremony as well as during the wedding reception. There is no need to force them because they have “a true reason” to be joyful.
From Easter Sunday until today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Church is also called to be joyful. More than that, the Church is called to be joyful in an extraordinary way. In all five different Prefaces – the preface is the part of the Eucharistic prayer during Mass – that we used for 50 days of the Easter season, we have heard a priest praying to God on our behalf in the same way: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, at all times to acclaim you, O Lord, but in this time above all to laud you yet more gloriously.” Yes, we are called to acclaim the Lord 365 days a year – in other words, always. In Easter time, however, this praise, worship and acclaim must be intensified. During this time, we are called to laud God yet more gloriously. As in the case of the marriage ceremony, nobody can force us to be joyful, so too in our praise of God, nobody can force us to be joyful. But there is no need to be forced if we know the true reason why we should be joyful in our glorification of our Lord. The reason for our Christian joy is specified in the second part of the same Easter Prefaces. They explain to us that by dying on the cross Christ has destroyed our death, and by rising, restored our life, and that his Death is our ransom from death, and in his rising the life of all has risen. This is a powerful statement that we will live forever only thanks to Him, only thanks to his sacrifice. This is the highest expression of God’s love towards us. Can we be idle in such a situation? Can we be mute or indifferent when we celebrate such a truth? We are urged to festively celebrate every Mass and every encounter with our Lord who is present in the Eucharist, is present in the Word of God, is present in the Sacraments and in the Church. In this way, we advance on our pilgrim way to our Father in heaven.
This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Descent of the Holy Spirit – Pentecost – literally meaning “the fiftieth.” Jesus was telling the Apostles for a long time before his death and resurrection that after his departure, a Spirit of Truth, the Advocate, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit will come. That Spirit will remind the Apostles of everything and give them the wisdom and courage to be witnesses of God’s salvation to all. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand the Church and Her mission, and we cannot grow in faith that leads us to the Kingdom of God.
St. Basil the Great, a Father of the Church from the 4th century put it clearly when he wrote:
“From the Spirit comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of the mysteries of faith, insight into the hidden meaning of Scripture, and other special gifts. Through the Spirit we become citizens of heaven, we enter into eternal happiness, and abide in God. Through the Spirit we acquire a likeness to God; indeed, we attain what is beyond our most sublime aspirations—we become like God.”
Fr. Mark Jurzyk