171. Pentecost Sunday (III)

Meditations no. 217 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

The Church is a living miracle, because the Holy Spirit dwells in her.

Pentecost is one of the greatest feasts of the liturgical year. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, who were awaiting him all together in one place, and the visible Church was seen for the first time as the community instituted by Jesus Christ for the salvation of all mankind.

From then on, the organic character of the Mystical Body of Christ has been evident. St Gregory the Great explains that, while exteriorly the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of tongues of fire, interiorly he enkindled hearts; and upon receiving the vision of God in the form of fire, they were gently filled with love; because the Holy Spirit is love. The Church was sanctified and made visible by the sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming, which filled the whole house where they were sitting.

On the day of Pentecost the Church was also seen in all its universality: the miracle of people of many different nations who clearly understood the Apostles’ speech shows us that the word of God must be spread throughout the whole world, and reach all people.

On Pentecost Day, the Jews commemorated their entry into the Promised Land. The Patriarchs had glimpsed this land through the promises made to them by the Lord; and in the hope of reaching it, the Jews had spent forty years in the desert with Moses. This land appeared from afar as the homeland they all dreamed of, rich and plentiful. The Church, the true Promised Land, appears to us on this day in all the richness of the graces which it will bestow upon men and women over the centuries, overcoming all the obstacles which the Evil One raises against it. Until the holy city, the New Jerusalem, descends from heaven - a new heaven and a new earth - there will be no truce in the battle being fought between, on the one hand, the Lord of lords, and King of kings and those who are with him, called, and chosen, and faithful, and on the other, the servants of the beast, and the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

The Church is a living miracle. In view of the thousands of obstacles it has had to face, its growth, its development and its endurance through the ages have no human explanation. Nor is it possible to explain from human causes its unity, its sanctity, its universality and its apostolic drive. The mystery of the Church has only one explanation: Christ’s promise to send the Holy Spirit. The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

The Church holds the means of salvation.

The Church is the depository of the truth of Christ, a permanent miracle, the mystery of God’s love for his people, and it shows us what our own life should be like. When St Peter the Apostle raised his voice before the multitude to give testimony to Jesus Christ, a rebellious cry had already arisen under the semblance of common sense - They are filled with new wine! - but the impulse of the Paraclete brought about a mass conversion. The kingdom of God must spread throughout the whole world by the power of the Holy Spirit, who uses us as his instruments, guides us with his light, and consoles and encourages us with his love.

Turn your eyes to those nations which have attained incredible growth in culture and progress. In just a few years, they have carried out a technological revolution which has brought them a high level of material well-being. Their research - and it is wonderful to see how God assists the human mind -should have led them closer to God because, insofar as the things they find are true and good, they proceed from God and are directed towards him.

Nevertheless, this is not what is happening: in spite of their progress, they are not becoming more human. And they cannot do so, for if the supernatural dimension is lacking, man’s life - regardless of the material perfection it attains - becomes the life of an animal. Only when the religious horizon is present can man be distinguished from the beasts: thus religion is in a way the greatest rebellion of man, who refuses to be merely an animal.

In the field of religion, my daughters and sons, there is no progress, no possibility of further advances. The peak of progress has already been attained: it is Christ, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. For this reason, there is nothing left to invent in the spiritual life; all that remains for us to do is to identify ourselves with Christ, to become other Christs - ipse Christus, Christ himself - by falling in love with Christ and living in him who is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will always be: Jesus Christus heri et hodie, ipse et in saecula. Do you understand now why I repeat once again that I have no other recipe to give you but this one: personal sanctity? There is no other way, my children, there is no other way.

Our effort to employ all the honest human means available must never make us forget the intimate secret of all supernatural effectiveness, the only way to do the Work of God: personal sanctity. Thus we shall be able to exclaim with the whole Church: The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world.

Cooperating in the divine work of Redemption.

On the morning of Pentecost Sunday, the Apostles spoke in many different languages. The miracle of the gift of tongues teaches us that the mission of the Church of Christ is universal. The Church seeks to spread to all parts of the world and reach all peoples, in order to renew the face of the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our mission is to cooperate in this work of saving souls.

It pains me to see that after twenty centuries there are so few in the world who call themselves Christians; and among those who do, there are so few who have the true doctrine of Jesus Christ. I told you once what a man with a good heart, but who did not have faith, said to me while contemplating a map of the world: “Look, from north to south, from east to west.” “What do you want me to look at?” I asked. His answer was: “The failure of Christ. So many centuries seeking to instil his doctrine in the hearts of men and look at the results: there are no Christians.”

At first I was overcome by sadness; but immediately afterwards, I was filled with love and thanksgiving because our Lord has chosen to make us free co-operators in his work of redemption. Christ has not failed: his doctrine and his life are continually producing fruit in the world. His redemption is sufficient and more than sufficient, but he treats us as intelligent and free beings, and has disposed that we must mysteriously make up in our own flesh - in our lives - what is lacking in his Passion, pro corpore eius, quod est Ecclesia (for the sake of his body, that is, the Church).

The redemption is still being carried out, and you and I are co-redeemers. It is worthwhile to dedicate our whole life, and to suffer, out of love, in order to cooperate with God’s plans and help him redeem the world, to co-redeem.

The supernatural character of this undertaking, the universality of this message, and the need which souls have of our apostolic work, should be an incentive to renew our confidence in God and stir up our desire to do apostolate. St Ambrose warns us that the grace of the Holy Spirit does not allow for delay. We have to reach everyone. As our Father wrote: You can’t live with your back turned on everyone; you have to be eager to make others happy.

We can end our prayer by asking our Lady, our Mother, to accompany us on our way, as she was beside the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. May she intercede for us, praying to the Holy Spirit to fill us with his grace. Let us do all things in the faith that he dwells in us, says St Ignatius of Antioch, so that we may be temples of his, and he, our God, may be in us. In this way we will faithfully fulfil the divine mission which we have received in the heart of the Church founded by Jesus Christ.