Pentecost! Whaaaaat?!?!

This is my first official homily as a Deacon. It is the written version as I did not read this homily. I shared it at four different Masses on the weekend I was ordained, which happened to be Pentecost, and each was slightly different as I was trying to do what our homiletics instructor suggested, not to read our homilies.

Pentecost June 4 & 5, 2022

Acts 2:1-11 Ps 104:1, 24, 29,-30, 31, 34 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Rom 8:8-17 Jn 20:1-23

Whaaaaaaat!!!

Not sure if you all have seen the Kevin Hart commercial for SiriusXM radio where Kevin is outside in his truck listening to his show on XM radio when a friend tells him he can listen to the show inside his house on his laptop. Next Kevin is exercising on a treadmill with his laptop listening to his show when another person tells him he can hear his show on his cell phone. Each time Kevin is acting all surprised and amazed and makes the comment “Whaaat!” Finally the last instance is Kevin baking something in the kitchen and having difficulty using the cell phone to play his show when someone walks by and says “Alexa, play Kevin’s show on SiriusXM radio” and then the show plays over the loud speaker, and Kevin is like freaking out and exclaims in a long and loud “whaaaaaaaaat!!!” In all these instances Kevin’s friends showed him something he previously did not know or was not aware of.

We all experience these “what” kind moments in our lives, which can also be referred to as Epiphany or Emmaus moments in our Christian journey, where God reveals himself to us in a greater and deeper way. And when these What moments happen there are typically two reactions that follow on our part. The first reaction is that of “how could we have not known this?” or “wow how amazingly awesome is this?” kind of reactions to that moment, whether in total disbelief or in complete awe in the belief. The second is a decision about what to do with what just happened, whether to believe it or not, and whether we share the experience with others or not.

My life has been filled with many such moments, which lead me to enter the Seminary to consider the vocation to the priesthood. To fall in love, get married and raise a family. To get involved in parish life and be active in different ministries. And eventually to enter into Diaconate formation and be ordained a Deacon for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. All of these moments were guided by the Gift of the Holy Spirit, and my willingness to surrender to Him and the Father’s will for me.

Throughout all of Scripture we find such moments, like when the Israelites were given mana in the desert for the first time. The word mana actually means “whatness” as the people asked, “what is this?” Truly a “whaaaaaat!!!!” kind of moment for God’s people. Similarly, when Jesus proclaimed that he is the bread of life, the mana come down from heaven, and that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have life. This was a huge “What?!?!” moment for many who chose to walk away and not believe.

On this Feast of Pentecost in today’s readings we have more of these “What?!?!” moments. The Acts of the Apostles speaks of strong winds and tongues of fire and people from all over being able to hear the Apostles proclaim the good news in their own native language. I can just imagine people looking at each other and saying, “whaaaaaat?!?!?” If I were there, would I have believed what I was seeing and hearing? And what if I was not there but heard about it the next day from a friend? Would I have believed the stories about what took place? What would I have chosen to do with either experience? How would it have changed my life, and would I go forth sharing with others what I experienced?

In the Gospel of John we have Jesus coming through a locked door, and the disciples rejoicing. I’m sure a lot of them, if not all of them were at least thinking if not saying “whaaaaat?!?!?” before they began their rejoicing upon seeing Jesus walk through a locked door. Thomas, who was not there that day, did not believe… Then Jesus breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit….” What an amazing gift, thank you! Oh what’s that you say, we can forgive sins? Whaaaat? For reals? Yes, for reals, but not only that but much more, they are sent forth, as are we are sent forth at the end of each Mass we celebrate. But we are not sent alone!

Today in our society we are so accustomed to asking Google or Alexa for help and directions; yet neither of them can guide us and enlighten us like the Holy Spirit can. Beginning first with the Gift of true Faith, especially in the belief of the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. My brothers and sisters, as we celebrate this Feast of Pentecost, when Christ sent forth The Holy Spirit and breathed life into his Church, let us open our hearts, our minds, and our whole beings to all that the Holy Spirit has to bestow upon us, and allow ourselves to be moved by all the “whaaaaat” moments in our lives that He guides us too and gifts us with. Most especially let us ask Him to fill our hearts to burn and yearn for Christ in the Eucharist as He makes himself truly present to us. That when we come to receive the Eucharist, our AMEN may be a Whaaaat moment as we receive Him and consume Him. That in this Whaaaat moment of receiving the Eucharist we allow ourselves to be consumed by Christ. And let us be so moved by the Joy the Holy Spirit gives us in recognizing the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist that when we leave Mass today, we become so eager so as to share our joy and our experience with others. Just like Kevin Hart’s friends were willing to share with him the many different ways in which he could access his show on the SiriusXM radio, let us be willing to share with our family and friends how they can consume and be consumed by Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist.

And so we pray “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.”