Friends, with today’s liturgy, we begin a series of three that speak to the mysteries of our faith—Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi, or the Body of Christ.  Let’s take each one separately, give as simple an example as possible and see where we are:

1. Pentecost—from the Greek means “50” and for our purposes here, 50 days have passed since Easter, and Jesus is preparing to physically leave his band of apostles and disciples.  In order that they could remain strong in their faith, he promised to send them, and us, his Spirit, which we are celebrating today.
2. That easily moves us into Trinity Sunday as we remember that our loving God is composed of 3 persons—Creator, Savior/Revealer and Spirit. 
3.  Then we have Corpus Christi, or the Body of Christ—a Sunday that should take us from the “Table of Welcome” (where everyone is indeed welcome!) into our world where; if we have “eyes to see, and ears to hear, our God will be presented in many, many ways—in all who we meet and engage with, and in all of creation—really! 

   Now, with these simple explanations, I believe it would be true to say that each week holds a mystery that our heads can’t fully explain, and that we do better to come at each one with our hearts.

   For this week then, I will simply comment on Pentecost.  Beginning with the 1^st reading from Acts, we hear about, “a violent wind” and “tongues of fire” to explain the “unexplainable.” The mystery continues in that “they began to speak in other languages.”  We might be thinking and asking, “why would Jesus’ band need to be speaking in “other languages?” The simple answer to me would be that they could be better understood by all the others present that day, thus completing their mission of “sharing the Good News to all.”  Additionally, Jerusalem was a place that drew many different people, cultures, and with different languages. 

   And I can’t help but reflect once again on our Bishop Barron’s stance of not making himself available to us until we, essentially, “speak his language!” This new message, and lifestyle, The Way, as Jesus’ first followers were often spoken of, wouldn’t have traveled too far, it seems to me, if these first ones had this mindset. 

   We are also reminded in Paul’s 1^st Letter to the Corinthians, that we, each of us, are “given the manifestations of the Spirit for the common good.”  In other words, “the story” shouldn’t be about the Bishop’s particular mindset, but about what the people are asking for and indeed needing, to grow closer to God. I have had some of you tell me, “if it weren’t for this parish, I wouldn’t be going to church!”  And after all, there is something called, “the sensus fidelium” or “the universal consent in matters of faith and morals from the bishops to the last of the faithful.”  In my mind, this needs to be taken into consideration from these bishops who feel they have the totality of the truth!

   When we visited with the canon lawyer, Father Will Thompson, we asked him if Bishop Barron accepted Vatican II, and he said that he did.  I for one have to question that, when he, along with the majority of bishops in this country are spending so much time on pre-Vatican II theology with their National Eucharistic Celebration this summer running counter to Pope Francis’ synodality process that speaks well to Vatican II theology. 

   Our final reading today from John’s gospel gives hope to the “fearful” band, locked in the Upper Room, as well as permission, inspired by the Spirit, to do what is needed, “for the common good,”  which in my mind would include those who see things differently.  Our brother Jesus first brings “peace” and then assures the fearful band that if, “they forgive, or retain,” in matters of faith, it is in fact, done! 

   So often, “Church fathers” say, “it can’t be done,” to any change that is called for, and is needed. And the truth of the matter, is that they don’t want to change—ultimately, it wouldn’t be good for them!  Pentecost is about being “grownups” in our faith—thinking a new story about what it is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.  It’s about getting out of our teeny-tiny boxes/boats—whatever, about truly unleashing the Spirit’s power/fire, of love in our world—a love so needed now—today! 

   I think on this Pentecost weekend, it is significant to remember that this past week, the United Methodist church has taken a most historic vote to be accepting of LGBTQ+ pastors and others within their congregations.  Bishop Karen Oliveto, the first openly gay bishop within the congregation, made quite a statement when asked by PBS Newscaster, Geoff Bennett what she thought was the reason, that her congregation has split over the issue of LGBTQ+ issues, and she basically said that it was about who they were taught that God is.  Bishop Karen said, “we are learning now, who God is, and how that is different from what writers/teachers, [etc.] have said God is,”  [through time].  In other words, God is bigger, better, more inclusive, open, accepting than we have made God to be! 

   The month of May, besides ending the Easter Season this year, is also the month that we remember our sister, Mary of Nazareth, another one whom Church fathers have belittled by conveniently placing her out of sight with an agenda that is basically theirs, instead of someone to listen to in her Canticle of Faith (the Magnificat) —a strong woman who was cognizant of the gift that she received in bearing the Christ for our world—a woman who continually shared in her time, “do whatever he tells you!”  Mary challenges us today too, to see her son in our everyday lives, to choose love over law whenever given that chance!     My friends, I said earlier that Pentecost calls us “to be grown-up in our faith” –to always look beyond the confines of organized religion, to see the path our brother Jesus took, to not be “afraid” to include more, as he did, to “stretch the cloth” to fit the message, and perhaps, in some cases, create a new pattern, a new cloth with built-in strength that can encompass his message yes, but with the ability to grow too, especially when the old pattern, worn material doesn’t work anymore.  I see Pope Francis doing this, and we must, at the least, support him for taking this fork in the road. Amen? Amen!