- This event has passed.
Vigils Reading – Pentecost Sunday
May 19 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD
HAS FILLED THE WHOLE EARTH
A commentary by St Aelred of Rievaulx1
◊◊◊
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