by Father James Rodriguez
Last weekend, we read about the first place the Apostles went after the Ascension of the Lord: the Upper Room. There, in the very place where the Lord had broken bread with them that first Holy Thursday, they gathered to remember Him. In Him they had unity. In Him they had a mission and a purpose.
Today, on the Solemnity of Pentecost, they are once again gathered in one place, and once again sent out to set the world ablaze with divine love.
It is important to note the multitudes present in Jerusalem at the time. The diverse crowd is not unlike our own diocese, in which so many people from so many different backgrounds come together. In my first five years of priesthood, I had the joy of serving at Most Precious Blood parish, Astoria. Between that parish and its neighbor, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mass is celebrated in seven different languages every Sunday. What could possibly bring such different groups together? What net could gather such a wide variety of fish? It is the net of Peter, who at the command of the Savior who touched his heart continues to unite the tribes of the earth through the light of faith – the only source of true renewal.
It is this unity in diversity that is one of our greatest strengths as the Church. As Catholics, we celebrate a universal faith that is the same always and everywhere, yet lived out in as many ways as there are people. When faithful to the truth as carefully handed down through the Apostles and their successors, we begin to live like those different parts of the one body into which we were baptized (1 Corinthians 12:13), fused together by the one Spirit of love made flesh in Christ Jesus, the Eucharistic Lord who daily brings together His beloved faithful at His altar and feeds them anew.
This heavenly food has as its aim our union. Sometimes people who are not admitted to Holy Communion feel unjustly excluded, yet the problem is not one of law but of language. When we speak of communion, we are attempting to describe a common bond, a shared belief that unites us. Pettiness, rebellion, and spiteful division do not come from the Spirit of God.
On the contrary, the Holy Spirit poured out on the Apostles gave them not only peace, but the power to beget peace through penance. The Lord breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20: 22-23). He bestows on them the amazing ability to forgive sins, and it is this priestly power that helps bind up and heal the wounds – often deep – that we inflict upon each other and the Church through sin. He gives them the power to hear confessions and absolve souls crushed under the weight of sin.
As a priest, I can personally testify to the renewal, peace and joy that I have seen in people’s faces at the words, “I absolve you… .” They know it is not a mere man speaking. They recognize the voice of the Shepherd, and at the sound of that Voice, years of guilt and shame melt away. Communion is restored.
This communion was and is the hallmark of the Church, gathered around the Lamb on His altar–throne, inspired by the Holy Spirit that has brought us here. We proclaim the Holy Name that has saved us, and we seek peace and renewal, a holy desire that brings us together despite our differences. Sadly, however, we sometimes let political labels like ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ divide the Church, but the truth is that those terms have no place in a true community of believers.
We – together – follow Christ Jesus. We trust in the authority of the Holy Father, which was entrusted to him from the moment Simon became the Rock, and his brother bishops, who have been chosen to lead the Church we love so much. When she speaks, we listen, not for fear of punishment, but in loving obedience to she who is mother and teacher – the Church.
As a teacher myself at Cathedral Preparatory School and Seminary in Elmhurst, I have the privilege and challenge of helping to form young minds in my charge. I am joined by several dedicated and loving teachers who likewise take this work seriously. The young men who come into this building each day know themselves to be loved, and they also know that they will be challenged to grow – a process that is not always pleasant.
In the Holy Spirit of God who unites us and brings about amazing wonders, we seek above all else the glory of God and spreading the healing fire of divine love.[hr]
Readings for Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2: 1-11
Psalm 104: 1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13
John 20: 19-23[hr]
Father James Rodriguez is the diocesan vocation director and teaches theology at Cathedral Prep and Seminary, Elmhurst.[hr]
Grilling with God and Father Rodriguez[hr]
Young adults, you are invited to join Father James Rodriguez for Grilling with God, an evening of fellowship, food and conversation, June 11 at Holy Child Jesus parish, Richmond Hill.
“Nothing to Lose: A Talk on Discernment” will be the topic of Father Rodriguez’ talk, which you can discuss with him while having a bite to eat. The event is made possible by the diocesan Catholic Foundation.
Arrive at the parish by 6 p.m. for a Holy Hour followed by a barbecue.
For more details, contact Paul Morisi, 718-965-7300 ext. 5556 or pmorisi@diobrook.org.