Pentecost Homily

Post date: May 31, 2021 3:0:57 AM

May 23, 2021- Pentecost Homily by Sr. Melanie Svoboda & Fr. Karl Schray

God comes…we say it so glibly. But how does God come?

Like winter thawing into spring? Like a delivery truck driver plopping a box

on our porch? Like a cranky child pestering for a cookie? Answer: any of the above.

For Elijah, God comes as a still small voice (see 1Kings 19:12).

Many of us like that sort of coming. We like a God who whispers and woos

rather than one who shouts and creates a big scene.

But on Pentecost, God’s coming is all spectacle—howling winds,

rattling walls, untamable fire, instant fluency in foreign languages.

But when we look more closely at both comings, we see this—

no matter the form, God’s coming has one purpose.

God commands Elijah (albeit gently) to go back to the place he is

running away from.

On Pentecost, God catapults the disciples out into the streets where,

filled with God’s Spirit, they proclaim the Gospel—

like partygoers tipsy from new wine. (Their message was the new wine). In short, God comes to tell us to go.

God whispers: “Go give her a hand.”

God nags, “Go and say you’re sorry.”

God shouts, “Go and do something about that.”

God shakes up our normal life, all in an effort to get us to go and love… go and give…go and do that hard thing…go and listen… go and play…go and pray…go to a deeper level of trust in me… go because I am with you. Always.

“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.(2x) Melt me, Mold me,

Fill me, Use me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.”