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Any Catholics who managed to complete CCD course with the Sacrament of Confirmation know that we have 50 days of celebration for the Resurrection of the Lord, from the Resurrection Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. We have “endured” 40 days of Lent from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday. And from the sundown of Holy Thursday until the vigil for Resurrection, we have observed Paschal Triduum, to prepare ourselves for these 50 days of joyous celebration of Resurrection for Paschaltide. After all, the resurrection of Jesus makes our faith, as well as our Christian life, immeasurably meaningful (1 Corinthians 15:12-14). Therefore, these Paschaltide 50 days are also a period of celebration for our life of faith in Christ, who has risen.
Though it is a celebration, the Paschaltide of 50
days is also a continual transformative learning process beyond Lenten Season
and Paschal Triduuum, given how the disciples spent the first 40 days of these
50 days until Pentecost from the day of Jesus’ resurrection. During these first
40 days, the risen Jesus had to work on his disciples to ensure their learning
of his teaching had achieved to the level to be sent out to all nations on
earth as fishers of people, on their apostolic mission. As their reaction to
the empty tomb of Jesus in the early morning of the resurrection day show, none
of them were far from being ready to be sent on the day of their master’s
resurrection, even though Jesus spent nearly 3 years, teaching them through his
words and signs, from Galilee to Jerusalem. Jesus even gave a comprehensive
review on all of his teaching, ending with his prayer, on the night before his
death, just before he entered into his intense passion, as written in John 14-17. During that review, Jesus introduced the Holy
Spirit, in relation not only to him, the Son, but also to the Father. Thus,
Trinity was revealed to his disciples during that review, while he also
promised to send the Holy Spirit to them upon his departure so that they would
not be left as orphans and so that they would be able to continue on their
mission with him, as he continues to guide and teach in the Spirit. Both the Son
and the Holy Spirit are, in essence, Parakletos
(1 John 2:1; John 14:16,26).
Given this, “Professor Jesus” could not ascend on
the day of his resurrection. None of his students had attained a passing grade.
Though it was beyond the prophesies in the Old Testament for the Messiah to do
on earth, “Professor Jesus” had to
remain on earth to give “remedial prep course” to his near-failing “students”
to ensure of their readiness to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the power,
to be sent out on their apostolic mission, as fishers of people, to evangelize,
catechize, and charismatize people of all nations. So, “Professor Jesus” spent these 40 days,
from the very day of his resurrection to the day of his ascension.
“Prosser Jesus” must be extremely patient. He did
not get upset about his “students” extremely poor learning outcome. He could
have said, “I can’t believe how ignorant you have been for these 3 years that I
had taught you not only by my Word but also by demonstration of my Signs!”. Or,
to be more biblical, “Professor Jesus” could have rebuked his “students”, “I
can’t believe how blind you had been! You guys are just as blind as these high
priests and Pharisees!”. Instead, as
“Professor Jesus” began the 40-day remedial prep course” for his disciples, in
the evening of the resurrection day, he was very gentile, first, with his
greeting of peace, “Peace be with you”, followed by his offering of the Holy
Spirit through his gentle breath.
Good teachers never put their students down – no
matter how slow their learning processes may be and no matter how poor their
masteries may be. They never insult their students and hurt the students’
dignity. At the same time, they never pretend as if their students deserve a
passing grade when they are not. And they are willing to do everything in their
faculties to bring their students to a passing level, because it is their
calling to teach. “Professor Jesus”
exemplifies this – what it means to teach. And, it took him the 40-day “detour”
on earth, rather than going up straight to heaven, even though he had already
completed all of his requirements, as prophesized in the Old Testament, when he
rose on the third day from his death.
These first 40 days of the disciples going through
intense remedial review course of what Jesus had taught before his death, upon
his resurrection, is well reflected in Luke 24:13-35, in which two disciples’
ignorance about Jesus and his teaching was gradually overcome by the word of
rise Jesus and their hearts were enflamed to tell the good news of their
encounter with risen Jesus.
The “students” managed to complete their “remedial
prep course” by “professor Jesus”’ ascension. And, they spent next 9 days in
prayers as they stayed together in Jerusalem, getting ready for their “commencement”
to receive the powerful gift of the Holy Spirit and to be sent out to do the
works of their “professor” even on a greater scale (John 14:11-17), as light to
the world and salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16).
The Gospel Reading for Pentecost Sunday Mass during
the day (John 20: 19-23) is identical to the first part of the Gospel Reading
for the Second Sunday of Paschaltide (Divine Mercy Sunday)(John 20:19-31). And,
its corresponding First Reading is taken from Acts 2:1-11. And, these readings
in celebrating Pentecost, the receiving of the mighty Holy Spirit on the 50th
day from Resurrection and 9 days after Ascension is really about the Holy Spirit.
But, in contrasting the Gospel Reading and the First Reading, we notice that
the Holy Spirit can come to us as a gentle breath of Jesus (John 20:22) and
with the sound of mighty winds, while appearing like tongues of fire (Acts
2:2-3).
The Holy Spirit was in the form of Jesus’ gentle
breath, in the evening of his resurrection, as he began the 40-day “remedial
review course” to enlighten the ignorance of his disciples for their mission.
And, in commencing them on their mission, the Holy Spirit was very powerful,
imposing impressions of gushing winds and flaming fire. Gentle and powerful – these are just two
characters of the Holy Spirit. But, both on day one and on day fifty, whether
gentle or powerful, the Holy Spirit was transformative to the disciples.
With a gentle form of Jesus’ breath, the Holy Spirit
thawed the disciples’ hearts frozen with fear. Their hearts were as stiff as
ice because of their poor mastery of Jesus’ teaching for the past 3 years.
Jesus had repeatedly foretold his death and resurrection, reminding these are
to fulfill the Scriptures (referring to Isaiah 53:12-53:12, in particular). Had
they achieved a “passing grade” by the time of “professor Jesus”’s death, their
hearts would not have been stiff with fear and grief. Rather, they would have
met risen Jesus at the moment of the resurrection as they would have kept vigil
by his tomb. And, they would hosted a celebration dinner for their risen “professor”.
If that were the case, Jesus could have ascended into heaven on that night.
But, the condition of the disciples was near death as their faith was in
question as they were in fear and confusion about the empty tomb.
Thanks to the Holy Spirit, poured upon the
disciples, through the gentle breath of risen Jesus, their fear, grief, and
confusion, were transformed into joy. The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ gentle breath resuscitated
the hearts and the souls of his disciples, invoking how God the Father, the
Creator, brought life to Adam, by breathing into his nostril (Genesis
2:7). And, this was how “professor Jesus”
began his 40-day “remedial prep course” upon his resurrection for his disciples
so that they would not fail. It all began with the Holy Spirit.
Having received the Holy Spirit, with their hearts and souls brought back to full life, as demonstrated in their joy, not only they came to understand the resurrection but came to gain Christological insights on Jesus, by reviewing his teaching from the past 3 years, from Galilee to Jerusalem, with full understanding of his death and resurrection.
So, on the 40th day from the initiation of the “prep
course” with the Holy Spirit in his gentle breath, “professor Jesus” had no
reservation in departing from his “students” and entrusting them to the Holy Spirit,
whom he called “another Parakletos”(John
14:16). So, he finally ascended back to the Father in heaven, to begin his next
assignment: building places for us in heaven as a son of Joseph, the carpenter (John
14:2-3). And, by ascending, “professor Jesus” could ensure all the benefits for
his “students” brought by the Holy Spirit (John 16:7).
What are the benefits for the disciples, coming with the Holy Spirit, another Parakletos, then? And, these are written in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (cf. Isaiah 11:2; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:7-13): wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, signs with mighty deeds, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. And, as we are benefited from and make the best out of these gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can be abundantly fruitful (John 15:2), bringing forth the multifaceted fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, forebearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And, the works of Jesus that his “students” carry out as the apostles, upon completing his 40-day “remedial prep course” and receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit, loaded with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, at their “commencement” on Pentecost, are to bear these as the fruit of their missionary works.
The Second Reading (1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7, 12-13) is a
reminder that the disciples have been born into one body of Christ with many
parts through one Spirit, called the Holy Spirit, on Pentecost. Thus, Pentecost
is not only to celebrate receiving the powerful Holy Spirit to confirm the mastery
of “professor Jesus”’s “students” but to have them transformed into the Ekklesia, the Church, those who are
called upon earth with another Parakletos,
who is called to be besides as a comforting and advocating companion. Called by one Spirit, the mighty Holy Spirit,
of tongues of fire, on Pentecost, we, too, are transformed to be sent out as
one unified body, not only with each other but with connected with Christ
Jesus, the Son, as the head (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22; 5:23), reflecting
Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21.Through the Holy Spirit, we are all baptized into
one body of Christ (1 Corinthian 12:13), as to be in him, for it is of Jesus’
desire (John 14:20; 17:21), reflecting the complete joy shared with him (John 15:11).
It all started with near-failing “students” of “professor
Jesus” when he returned to them from the dead, with the Holy Spirit in his
gentle breath. And, they caught up with their learning and achieved a passing
level in 40 days from then. On the 50th day from the starting day of
the “remedial prep course”, 9 days after the “professor”s return to the Father
in heaven, their mastery was confirmed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, sent
by the Father, in the name of their “professor”, the Son. And, it came to them
with great energy energy. Immediately, they were transformed further into the
apostles. And, through this one Spirit, one gift of the confirmation, the Holy Spirit,
they were born into the Church, the one body of Christ with many parts,
reflecting one Spirit with many gifts. At the same time, they became fully charismatized themselves with many gifts to bring forth abundant fruits. And, they have started transforming the world
to build the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven in the mighty name of their “professor”,
Jesus, the living Christ, through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.
Having received the Sacrament of Baptism and the
Sacrament of Confirmation, nourished with the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist,
as well as the Word, we, too, are filled with the same Holy Spirit, to be sent
and carry on the works of Jesus, passed on by the apostles.
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