Vigils Reading – Pentecost Sunday

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD

HAS FILLED THE WHOLE EARTH

A commentary by St Aelred of Rievaulx1

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Today’s holy solemnity puts new heart into us. For not only do we revere

its dignity, we also experience it as delightful. On this feast it is Love that we

specially honor, and among human beings there is no word pleasanter to the

ear, no thought more tenderly dwelt on, than love. The Love we celebrate is

nothing other than the goodness, kindness and charity of God, for God himself

is goodness, kindness and charity. His goodness is identical with his Spirit, with

God himself.

In his work of disposing of all things the Spirit of the Lord has filled the

whole world from the beginning, reaching from end to end of the earth in

strength and delicately disposing everything; but as sanctifier the Spirit of the

Lord has filled the whole world since Pentecost, for on this day the gracious

Spirit himself is sent by the Father and the Son on a new mission, in a new

mode, by a new manifestation of his mighty power, for the sanctification of

every creature. Before this day, the Spirit had not been given, for Jesus was not

yet glorified, but today he came forth from his heavenly throne to give himself

in all his abundant riches to the human race, so that the divine outpouring

might pervade the whole wide world and be manifested in a variety of spiritual

endowments.

It is surely right that this overflowing delight should come down to us

from heaven, since it was heaven that a few days earlier received from our fertile

earth a fruit of wonderful sweetness. When has our land ever yielded a fruit

more pleasant, sweeter, holier, or more delectable? Indeed, faithfulness has

sprung from the earth. A few days ago we sent Christ on ahead to the heavenly

kingdom, so that in all fairness we might have in return whatever heaven held

that should be sweet to our desire. The full sweetness of earth is Christ’s

humanity. The full sweetness of heaven Christ’s Spirit. Thus a more profitable

bargain was struck: Christ’s human nature ascended from us to heaven, and on

us today Christ’s Spirit has come down.

Now indeed, the Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole earth, and all

creation recognizes his voice. Everywhere the Spirit is at work, everywhere he

speaks. To be sure, the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples before our Lord’s

ascension when he said, Receive the Holy Spirit; if you forgive anyone’s sins,

they are forgiven; if you declare them unforgiven, unforgiven they remain;

but before the day of Pentecost the Spirit’s voice was still in a sense unheard.

His power had not yet leaped forth, nor had the disciples truly come to know

him, for they were not yet confirmed by his might; they were still in the grip of

fear, cowering behind closed doors.

From this day onward, however, the voice of the Lord has resounded over

the waters; the God of majesty has thundered and the Lord makes his voice

echo over the flood. From now on the voice of the Lord speaks with strength,

the voice of the Lord in majesty, the voice of the Lord fells the cedars, the voice

of the Lord strikes the desert, stirring the wilderness of Kadesh, the voice of the

Lord strips the forest bare, and all will cry out, ‘Glory’!

1 Journey with the Father – Year B – New City Press – 1999 – pg 64.3