In the Old Testament, Pentecost was a harvest festival celebration. It was a Jewish pilgrimage feast that required all adult males living within 25 miles to travel to the city of Jerusalem. This occasion makes it also possible for other people (including non Jews) from all over the ancient world to come and witness the feast, (if not for religious purposes at least for trade). This is confirmed in the first reading that says, “… there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.”

          This same verse recalls the tragedy of human rebellion expressed in the story of the Tower of Babel. (Gen 11:19)That story of great division and misunderstanding on languages was reversed during Pentecost. The Spirit makes it possible for people of different tongues to hear and understand a single message from the lips of the Spirit-filled Apostles. “The Babel of division becomes the Pentecost of unity.”

           In the later years, during the time of Jesus, there was a shift in the understanding of the Pentecost.  It became a celebration of Yahweh’s giving of “The Law” to Moses.(EX 3:2) The first reading describes Pentecost as the coming of the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire. “A tongue of flame” was the symbol for the Law that came from the “burning bush” on Sinai. For the apostles, this feast was a sign of the new law given by Christ, the law of love and forgiveness.

           They are in a room with closed doors because they were afraid of the Jews. It might be the same room they used during the last supper. They can easily meet there because they were very familiar to the place. The word “closed door” has also a background in OT. It could also mean the “closed gate of Paradise” after the Fall. (Gen 3:24) Christ passed through it, meaning Christ overcame Sin, and Eden was made open again. The “feeling of fear” was transformed into the “feeling of Peace” because of grace. The opening of Paradise was also symbol for new life and the recreation of new Eden.

          Christ breathed on them and said “receive the Holy Spirit”. The word “Breathe” that is used here is a translation from the Greek word “Ruah” meaning “air” or “wind.”  It is the same word used during the time of creation, when Yahweh formed Adam from soil and “breathe” on him and he came into life. Unfortunately because of the great Fall, that life was lost. During Pentecost that very same life, was given back to us, thus recreating humanity once again, God’s recreation of the new world and his new people –the Church.

1. Note that the verses, “breathing out of the Holy Spirit” and the “giving of the authority to forgive” comes one after another (v. 22-23). Sometimes, when couples have some misunderstanding, it becomes so hard for them to sit down and begin to work it out together again. Maybe because there are still a lot of pains in their hearts that make them very hard to forgive. But without forgiveness a fresh new start is next to impossible. Forgive first, only then you can start a new relationship of love.

2. The “giving of Peace” and the “sending of the apostles” come together in the single verse (v. 21). When Christ sent his apostles into mission, he made it sure that they already have Peace in their hearts. It is very hard to work with a heavy heart. Even how hard we try to do our best to finish a certain work oftentimes we can not simply do it well. We will just waste our time and effort if we will do it with disturbed minds and hearts. Perhaps each morning, before we do any work we need to sit down a little bit, and ask ourselves:  “Why I am afraid, disturbed and worried? What should I do to calm myself and receive peace? Then you pray. After you resolve those issues deep within, only then you can go back to work and everything will be alright.

3. For Luke, Pentecost occurs on the fiftieth after Easter (“Penta” for fifty); while in John’s Gospel Easter and the Pentecost even occur on the same day. For John it was very important to associate Pentecost with Easter because both of them are talking about the same thing: “restoring that Life of Grace that was lost by Adam and Eve.” During Easter celebration we recall that new life of grace that we received thru the Holy Spirit in baptism. We thank the same spirit for strengthening our faith in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Restoring Life is very important for without it, no grace can flow from God’s love into our souls. Everything begins with life.

   Some young people have hidden grudges with their parents. They are human being too, they do some mistakes but we do not have the right to hate them. They are still the same parents who gave us this life. And without this life we are nothing. Without life, there is nothing to begin with: there is no education, no career, no future – indeed, everything begins with the gift of life.