Pentecost Sunday Year B - 20/5/2018 - Gospel: Jn 20:19-23
Unleavened bread
The Jews celebrated their annual Passover to commemorate their Exodus, led by Moses to get out of Egypt. They gave thanks to the Lord for liberating them from slavery. Seven weeks after the Passover's celebration they had another celebration and it was the Spring Festival in which the nation celebrated their agricultural harvest and offered their new grain and new fruit to the temple as the sign of thanksgiving to the Lord. Jesus and his disciples went the temple of Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It was there he was arrested and was quickly sentenced to dead, nailed on the cross. Three days later he rose from the dead and appeared to his apostles and many others. The Feast of the Pentecost happened fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus. At the Feast of the Passover it was said that the people left Egypt in a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise or leaven for that reason Passover was called the feast of unleavened bread.
Christians celebrate the feast of Pentecost with great joy. The feast is celebrated several weeks after the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus as a way to commemorate the new life Christ has given to mankind. It is also the celebration of the first fruit of all creation in Christ. It is activated by the gift Jesus has promised to give to the world and that is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The parable of the wheat falls on the ground and bears great harvest come to mind ( Jn 12,24). It is understood in conjunction to the death and resurrection of Jesus that bears great harvest. It is so rich that the whole creation was damaged by our sin; now it is renewed in Jesus. The great harvest had its beginning in the risen Christ and the Holy Spirit continues the work Jesus had begun, to make the great harvest reproduce and to bear fruit in plenty. The other parable and that is the parable of the vine and branches (Jn 15) also reminds us that the unity between vine and branches to bear good fruit. It also brings to light the unity between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We Christians can bear great fruit and in abundance when we are united with Jesus and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit we give glory to Jesus. Remaining in God's love will liberate us from the bondage of sin because the power of the Risen Christ has set us free to follow and be guided by the Holy Spirit. Once the love of the Risen Christ has been poured into our heart we are led by the Holy spirit and we are united with the Trinity. By sending out the third person of God, Holy Spirit, Jesus has fulfilled his promised; the promised to be with us always, in our mission, till the end of time (Mat 28,20) The spirit of God is active in the lives of Christians and that enables us to give glory to God through acts of charity. We Christians are able to give birth daily by means of showing God's love to the world, through acts of charity and kindness. Our weakness becomes our strength when we remain in God's love. It is not our great effort and wisdom to drive us to do good but rather it is God's Spirit in our heart which strengthens us and guides us to do great work for Jesus. We are freed from the bondage of sin and caught in the love of Christ and that produces fruit beyond our imagination.
Christians celebrate the feast of Pentecost with great joy. The feast is celebrated several weeks after the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus as a way to commemorate the new life Christ has given to mankind. It is also the celebration of the first fruit of all creation in Christ. It is activated by the gift Jesus has promised to give to the world and that is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The parable of the wheat falls on the ground and bears great harvest come to mind ( Jn 12,24). It is understood in conjunction to the death and resurrection of Jesus that bears great harvest. It is so rich that the whole creation was damaged by our sin; now it is renewed in Jesus. The great harvest had its beginning in the risen Christ and the Holy Spirit continues the work Jesus had begun, to make the great harvest reproduce and to bear fruit in plenty. The other parable and that is the parable of the vine and branches (Jn 15) also reminds us that the unity between vine and branches to bear good fruit. It also brings to light the unity between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We Christians can bear great fruit and in abundance when we are united with Jesus and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit we give glory to Jesus. Remaining in God's love will liberate us from the bondage of sin because the power of the Risen Christ has set us free to follow and be guided by the Holy Spirit. Once the love of the Risen Christ has been poured into our heart we are led by the Holy spirit and we are united with the Trinity. By sending out the third person of God, Holy Spirit, Jesus has fulfilled his promised; the promised to be with us always, in our mission, till the end of time (Mat 28,20) The spirit of God is active in the lives of Christians and that enables us to give glory to God through acts of charity. We Christians are able to give birth daily by means of showing God's love to the world, through acts of charity and kindness. Our weakness becomes our strength when we remain in God's love. It is not our great effort and wisdom to drive us to do good but rather it is God's Spirit in our heart which strengthens us and guides us to do great work for Jesus. We are freed from the bondage of sin and caught in the love of Christ and that produces fruit beyond our imagination.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
