Sermon for Pentecost Sunday 2010
All Saints Chapel Free Catholic Church, Dinwiddie, Virginia
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
All Saints Chapel Free Catholic Church, Dinwiddie, Virginia
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
« Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu'il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse point, mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle... » (French)
„Denn so hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, damit jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verloren gehe, sondern ewiges Leben habe.“ (German)
“Dio infatti ha tanto amato il mondo da dare il suo Figlio unigenito, perché chiunque crede in lui non muoia, ma abbia la vita eterna.” (Italian)
“Sic enim dilexit Deus mundum ut Filium suum unigenitum daret ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam...” (Latin)
“Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado á su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.” (Spanish)
Despite my limited ability in French, German, and Italian, I have just shared with you in several different languages, the most famous verse in all of the Bible…John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This verse is the very heart and soul of the Gospel Message; and no matter how you say it, it still comes out that God loves us. It is appropriate that today, we hear that message of God’s Love in different languages, because today we observe Pentecost Sunday.
On this day, nearly 2000 years ago, God fulfilled his promise to the world, by sending us his Holy Spirit. Ten days after Jesus ascended back into Heaven, those early disciples gathered together in prayer just as Jesus had instructed them so that they might wait to receive the power he promised, in order to proclaim the message of God’s unconditional and total love for the whole world.
It is on this day – Pentecost Sunday – that the Church…that beautiful, mystical, universal, and catholic body of Christ was born. And finally it was on this day that the Salvation of God through Christ was made available, not only to the Jews to whom and through whom Jesus came, but to every single man, woman, boy, and girl in the world. Because, as we have heard – God loved the WORLD so much, that he sent his Son; so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.
In his great love for the Human Race, the great God of the Universe sent Jesus his only Son to take our human form, to live and die as one of us, in order that through Him, the whole world would be saved. As we say sometimes in the Eucharistic Prayers – “He stretched out his arms of love on the hard wood of the cross, so that everyone might be received into his loving embrace.”
It’s a radical concept that we have discussed during these past several weeks of Easter – that Jesus Christ came to earth, was born of the blessed Virgin Mary, died on a cruel Roman Cross, was buried and rose again from the dead, and ascended back into heaven to make available to us the eternal salvation that we ourselves could not have achieved.
Because of our disobedience and rebellion against God, God would have been justified in wiping out the entire human race. Why? Because time and time again, through Moses and the prophets…through the 10 Commandments and the rest of the Law, God tried to turn the rebellious hearts of humanity towards him. But we as humans rejected all that, choosing instead to live and go our own way…to do our own thing…and we still do.
But instead of just wiping us out, as he once had done before – in the Great Flood – God continued to show his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, God sent his Son Jesus to die for us…and to pay the price of our reconciliation. And all we have to do to know joy, and peace, and to have the hope of eternal life is to embrace the Savior Christ, and determine to live for him the best way we can. That is the message of the Gospel of Christ…that he came, died, and rose again all because God loved us.
And no matter how one says it, or what language one uses, the message is still the same…”For God so loved the world…” That, my friends, is the Language of Love.
And it was on Pentecost Sunday, the ancient festival of the Jews, that God poured out his Holy Spirit, and gave the disciples the power and ability to proclaim that message of God’s love to the entire known world. On that day, as they prayed, the Holy Spirit came with great power, and touched and filled each one of those in that room; and as He did so, they began spontaneously to proclaim aloud the Good News of God’s love for everyone to hear. As they spoke, something miraculous happened. These uneducated, unlearned and unsophisticated men, without any prior training or knowledge, began to speak in other languages.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples proclaimed the mighty deeds of God’s Love in the many different languages spoken in their day; languages which those who had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost would hear and would understand. As we have seen from the First Lesson today, they spoke Ethiopian, and Egyptian, and Persian, and Latin, and Greek, and a host of other languages for the benefit of those who had come to Jerusalem from all around the Roman Empire.
As they spoke, people began to listen. Some just laughed thinking that these men were drunk. They scoffed as they heard the message of God’s Love. And today, many people still laugh and scoff at the message of God’s love. Despite hearing it in ancient or modern English, they fail to respond, choosing instead to go their own way.
But others who were there heard the wonderful things that God had done; and as the disciples spoke…and were moved. Ethiopians heard – God loves you. Persians heard – God loves you. Romans heard – God loves you. Greeks heard – God loves you. And yes – the Jews heard – God loves you. And later on that day, when Peter stood up and explained what was happening… 3000 people responded to the Language of Love. They embraced the message of this Savior Christ and were Baptized into the Body of Christ.
It was a day unlike any other day in the history of mankind…because salvation had finally come to the world; and the Holy Spirit moved and worked in his mystical way in the hearts and lives of thousands.
And today, he continues to do that same work. The Scriptures teach in John 16, that the work of the Holy Spirit has 3 parts…
1 – To show the world their sin
2 – To show they way to righteousness
3 – And finally, to show the judgment that awaits us if we fail to respond.
Through the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, through the sharing of this message of God’s love, the Holy Spirit works in the hearts and minds men and women, boys and girls. He shows them the errors of their ways and the desperation of continuing therein. He uses the words of the Scriptures to convince us that we are all sinners – each and every one of us. Then, once we recognize our sinful and rebellious nature, the Holy Spirit shows us that God still loves us; that we can be forgiven for all we have done, and that we can know joy, and peace, and love, and hope – hope for this world, and the blessed hope of everlasting life in Heaven with this same God who loves us so much.
After we open our hearts to his grace and love, this same Holy Spirit then comes to us and fills us with the same power and presence of God those early Disciples experienced. In and through our Baptism – and the other Sacraments, we experience the Grace of God’s Love, the Power of God’s Love, and the Joy of God’s love. The Holy Spirit fills our souls, and we are empowered to do the work of sharing the Language of Love with others.
So no matter how you say it, no matter what language you use, the message of the Language of Love is always the same… God loves us, Christ died for us, and all we have to do is this…
« Crois au Seigneur Jésus, et tu seras sauvé. » (French)
„Glaube an den Herrn Jesus, und du wirst errettet werden.“ (German)
“Credi nel Signore Gesù e sarai salvato tu.” (Italian)
“Crede in Domino Iesu et salvus eris tu” (Latin)
“Cree en el Señor Jesucristo, y serás salvo tú.” (Spanish)
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” (English)
That is the message of the Gospel; It is the point and power of Pentecost; it is the Language of Love – God’s love for entire human race; and we today – 2000 years later – who have embraced this love, and opened our hearts to the Savior, have been entrusted with that message… we have been entrusted with the Language of Love.
And the really neat thing about this Language of Love is you don’t need to speak a foreign language, in order to share it. The Holy Spirit showers each and every one of us with gifts and talents so that we can share the Love of God with those in our little corner of the world.
We can share the Language of Love in a thousand different ways…
- By working together to stamp out hatred and racism and injustice in the world.
- By stretching out a hand of tolerance and acceptance of others, no matter who or what they are.
- By feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and sharing the little we may have with those who have even less.
- By demonstrating a level of patience and compassionate – and yes, even forgiveness to others around us.
- By sharing our hope in Christ, with those who are have lost all hope.
- By engaging in a random and even anonymous acts of kindness that improve and bless the lives of others.
- By recognizing that each and every person we see – is a unique and special person, created by God in His very own image; and that God loves them too.
- And finally, by getting involved in your Church and in your Community to really make a difference in the world. This is the place where we learn of God’s love, experience God’s love, and are empowered to share God’s love with the world around us.
Yes… the Language of Love takes on many forms; not just in words, but in deeds… deeds and actions done in the Name of Christ and for His glory.
Imagine a world filled with Christians who have learned not only to speak the Language of Love, but who exercise their Holy Spirit given gifts and talents. Imagine a world where Christians not only believed all this, but actually lived it and demonstrated it each and every day. Imagine the impact we could make in the world – even our own little corner – if we would learn and share the Language of Love – God’s Love – in the same way that those early followers of Jesus did.
This week, during this First Week of Pentecost, allow that same Holy Spirit who filled those Disciples with power, to empower your mind, your heart, your tongue, and even your hands so that you may then go out there and demonstrate the Language of Love to a community that desperately needs it. This week, determine that you are going to explore and discover your own spiritual gifts – which the Holy Spirit has indeed given you; and then begin exercising those gifts to make a difference. And finally, let us prayerfully seek the Power and Passion of Pentecost to fill our Church - and all the Churches of the world, so that we too may share the Language of Love to this community and the world; and in the process see our Churches grow and grow. Who knows… maybe we too will see 3000 people respond to the Language of Love, just as they did on that first Pentecost Sunday.
May God grant us the power and passion of Pentecost, so that we too may be participants in changing and impacting our world for Jesus!
„Denn so hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, damit jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verloren gehe, sondern ewiges Leben habe.“ (German)
“Dio infatti ha tanto amato il mondo da dare il suo Figlio unigenito, perché chiunque crede in lui non muoia, ma abbia la vita eterna.” (Italian)
“Sic enim dilexit Deus mundum ut Filium suum unigenitum daret ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam...” (Latin)
“Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado á su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.” (Spanish)
Despite my limited ability in French, German, and Italian, I have just shared with you in several different languages, the most famous verse in all of the Bible…John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This verse is the very heart and soul of the Gospel Message; and no matter how you say it, it still comes out that God loves us. It is appropriate that today, we hear that message of God’s Love in different languages, because today we observe Pentecost Sunday.
On this day, nearly 2000 years ago, God fulfilled his promise to the world, by sending us his Holy Spirit. Ten days after Jesus ascended back into Heaven, those early disciples gathered together in prayer just as Jesus had instructed them so that they might wait to receive the power he promised, in order to proclaim the message of God’s unconditional and total love for the whole world.
It is on this day – Pentecost Sunday – that the Church…that beautiful, mystical, universal, and catholic body of Christ was born. And finally it was on this day that the Salvation of God through Christ was made available, not only to the Jews to whom and through whom Jesus came, but to every single man, woman, boy, and girl in the world. Because, as we have heard – God loved the WORLD so much, that he sent his Son; so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.
In his great love for the Human Race, the great God of the Universe sent Jesus his only Son to take our human form, to live and die as one of us, in order that through Him, the whole world would be saved. As we say sometimes in the Eucharistic Prayers – “He stretched out his arms of love on the hard wood of the cross, so that everyone might be received into his loving embrace.”
It’s a radical concept that we have discussed during these past several weeks of Easter – that Jesus Christ came to earth, was born of the blessed Virgin Mary, died on a cruel Roman Cross, was buried and rose again from the dead, and ascended back into heaven to make available to us the eternal salvation that we ourselves could not have achieved.
Because of our disobedience and rebellion against God, God would have been justified in wiping out the entire human race. Why? Because time and time again, through Moses and the prophets…through the 10 Commandments and the rest of the Law, God tried to turn the rebellious hearts of humanity towards him. But we as humans rejected all that, choosing instead to live and go our own way…to do our own thing…and we still do.
But instead of just wiping us out, as he once had done before – in the Great Flood – God continued to show his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, God sent his Son Jesus to die for us…and to pay the price of our reconciliation. And all we have to do to know joy, and peace, and to have the hope of eternal life is to embrace the Savior Christ, and determine to live for him the best way we can. That is the message of the Gospel of Christ…that he came, died, and rose again all because God loved us.
And no matter how one says it, or what language one uses, the message is still the same…”For God so loved the world…” That, my friends, is the Language of Love.
And it was on Pentecost Sunday, the ancient festival of the Jews, that God poured out his Holy Spirit, and gave the disciples the power and ability to proclaim that message of God’s love to the entire known world. On that day, as they prayed, the Holy Spirit came with great power, and touched and filled each one of those in that room; and as He did so, they began spontaneously to proclaim aloud the Good News of God’s love for everyone to hear. As they spoke, something miraculous happened. These uneducated, unlearned and unsophisticated men, without any prior training or knowledge, began to speak in other languages.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples proclaimed the mighty deeds of God’s Love in the many different languages spoken in their day; languages which those who had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost would hear and would understand. As we have seen from the First Lesson today, they spoke Ethiopian, and Egyptian, and Persian, and Latin, and Greek, and a host of other languages for the benefit of those who had come to Jerusalem from all around the Roman Empire.
As they spoke, people began to listen. Some just laughed thinking that these men were drunk. They scoffed as they heard the message of God’s Love. And today, many people still laugh and scoff at the message of God’s love. Despite hearing it in ancient or modern English, they fail to respond, choosing instead to go their own way.
But others who were there heard the wonderful things that God had done; and as the disciples spoke…and were moved. Ethiopians heard – God loves you. Persians heard – God loves you. Romans heard – God loves you. Greeks heard – God loves you. And yes – the Jews heard – God loves you. And later on that day, when Peter stood up and explained what was happening… 3000 people responded to the Language of Love. They embraced the message of this Savior Christ and were Baptized into the Body of Christ.
It was a day unlike any other day in the history of mankind…because salvation had finally come to the world; and the Holy Spirit moved and worked in his mystical way in the hearts and lives of thousands.
And today, he continues to do that same work. The Scriptures teach in John 16, that the work of the Holy Spirit has 3 parts…
1 – To show the world their sin
2 – To show they way to righteousness
3 – And finally, to show the judgment that awaits us if we fail to respond.
Through the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, through the sharing of this message of God’s love, the Holy Spirit works in the hearts and minds men and women, boys and girls. He shows them the errors of their ways and the desperation of continuing therein. He uses the words of the Scriptures to convince us that we are all sinners – each and every one of us. Then, once we recognize our sinful and rebellious nature, the Holy Spirit shows us that God still loves us; that we can be forgiven for all we have done, and that we can know joy, and peace, and love, and hope – hope for this world, and the blessed hope of everlasting life in Heaven with this same God who loves us so much.
After we open our hearts to his grace and love, this same Holy Spirit then comes to us and fills us with the same power and presence of God those early Disciples experienced. In and through our Baptism – and the other Sacraments, we experience the Grace of God’s Love, the Power of God’s Love, and the Joy of God’s love. The Holy Spirit fills our souls, and we are empowered to do the work of sharing the Language of Love with others.
So no matter how you say it, no matter what language you use, the message of the Language of Love is always the same… God loves us, Christ died for us, and all we have to do is this…
« Crois au Seigneur Jésus, et tu seras sauvé. » (French)
„Glaube an den Herrn Jesus, und du wirst errettet werden.“ (German)
“Credi nel Signore Gesù e sarai salvato tu.” (Italian)
“Crede in Domino Iesu et salvus eris tu” (Latin)
“Cree en el Señor Jesucristo, y serás salvo tú.” (Spanish)
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” (English)
That is the message of the Gospel; It is the point and power of Pentecost; it is the Language of Love – God’s love for entire human race; and we today – 2000 years later – who have embraced this love, and opened our hearts to the Savior, have been entrusted with that message… we have been entrusted with the Language of Love.
And the really neat thing about this Language of Love is you don’t need to speak a foreign language, in order to share it. The Holy Spirit showers each and every one of us with gifts and talents so that we can share the Love of God with those in our little corner of the world.
We can share the Language of Love in a thousand different ways…
- By working together to stamp out hatred and racism and injustice in the world.
- By stretching out a hand of tolerance and acceptance of others, no matter who or what they are.
- By feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and sharing the little we may have with those who have even less.
- By demonstrating a level of patience and compassionate – and yes, even forgiveness to others around us.
- By sharing our hope in Christ, with those who are have lost all hope.
- By engaging in a random and even anonymous acts of kindness that improve and bless the lives of others.
- By recognizing that each and every person we see – is a unique and special person, created by God in His very own image; and that God loves them too.
- And finally, by getting involved in your Church and in your Community to really make a difference in the world. This is the place where we learn of God’s love, experience God’s love, and are empowered to share God’s love with the world around us.
Yes… the Language of Love takes on many forms; not just in words, but in deeds… deeds and actions done in the Name of Christ and for His glory.
Imagine a world filled with Christians who have learned not only to speak the Language of Love, but who exercise their Holy Spirit given gifts and talents. Imagine a world where Christians not only believed all this, but actually lived it and demonstrated it each and every day. Imagine the impact we could make in the world – even our own little corner – if we would learn and share the Language of Love – God’s Love – in the same way that those early followers of Jesus did.
This week, during this First Week of Pentecost, allow that same Holy Spirit who filled those Disciples with power, to empower your mind, your heart, your tongue, and even your hands so that you may then go out there and demonstrate the Language of Love to a community that desperately needs it. This week, determine that you are going to explore and discover your own spiritual gifts – which the Holy Spirit has indeed given you; and then begin exercising those gifts to make a difference. And finally, let us prayerfully seek the Power and Passion of Pentecost to fill our Church - and all the Churches of the world, so that we too may share the Language of Love to this community and the world; and in the process see our Churches grow and grow. Who knows… maybe we too will see 3000 people respond to the Language of Love, just as they did on that first Pentecost Sunday.
May God grant us the power and passion of Pentecost, so that we too may be participants in changing and impacting our world for Jesus!
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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