Sunday 8 June 2025 - Filled with the Holy Spirit

Sunday 8 June 2025

Today is Sunday the 8th of June, the feast of Pentecost.    The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing, Voici le temps: This is the time, most Holy Spirit, when you, One with the Father and the Son, come to shed your light in the hearts of your faithful.  Pause for a moment, and become aware of the Holy Spirit, present here, come to give life and light. Pause for a moment, and welcome that light into your life.    (Lyrics currently unavailable)  Today’s reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.    Acts 2:1-11  When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.  Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’  Our reading for today is the extraordinary story of the first Pentecost, which you might think of as the birthday of the Church.   “They were all together, in one place”. This is the first description of the Church as it is born... How does this sentence land now in light of the Church today?   “In our own languages, we hear them speaking of God’s deeds of power”. How do you see this in the Church today?   “They were filled with the Holy Spirit.” As you listen to the reading again, notice the effect this has on them. Have you ever felt this?   Acts 2:1-11  When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.  Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’  Finally, just think back over the last few minutes. What thoughts and feelings arose in you during this time? Can you turn them into a prayer to God?  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.   As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be  World without end  Amen