Celebrating Pentecost is fun and even, at times, humorous. In the scriptural account, we find that the Apostles drove a Honda! Yes, it's right there in the Bible. It reads: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one ACCORD” (Acts 2:1). But I think Pentecost is humorous for other reasons too.
On this Sunday, Pentecost, we see the power of the Holy Spirit whip through the hearts and souls of a poor, motley group of disciples hiding out in an upper room, crippled with confusion, fear, and desperation. Then suddenly, with wind and fire, they are transformed. Emboldened, on fire, and speaking in tongues, they rush out of their self-imposed prison and run around the streets of Jerusalem, proclaiming the impossible - the One who died has risen, and everything is changed. Pretty crazy and, truth be told, fun and laughable while, at the same time, powerful and beautiful.
Oblates of theToledo-Detroit Province at the profession of Mr. Matthew Trovato, OSFS.
In a recent survey of Christians, only 2 % said they liked it when clergy told jokes in sermons. Two percent? So 98% of you don't find me funny? How can you not find clergy funny? We are all so comical. Just look at us Oblates. We come in all shapes, sizes, differently gifted, some really smart, some not so much, some full of energy and focus, others - well, you know what I mean, but all of us are committed to the Lord and our Church. If clowns like us can be Christians, anyone can. It's why we wear those vestments. Yes, they are ancient and holy symbols. But they also make us look just a bit clownish. I like that. Maybe we are clowns for God. Whatever, we are a motley, odd, funny group.
St. Francis de Sales wrote in the Treatise on the Love of God (II.2), "We know there is great diversity in this world, of many life forms and elements, planets and stars. And yet we refer to it all together as the universe because perhaps all the diversity is reduced to unity. Let me call it a ‘unidiverse,’ that is, unique along with diversity and diverse along with unity."
While every one of us approaches the Lord differently, we all come with empty hands, darkened hearts, and humble, humiliated spirits. Yet, as one, we all approach the Lord with the Apostles' faith and say, "Come Holy Spirit! Come! Make us new! Whip through our hearts and souls, wipe away our confusion, fear, and desperation. Transform, encourage, and set our hearts on fire!" We push our way into the crowd of disciples in that upper room and say, "Yeah, me too!"
And despite our sin, weakness, lack of imagination, and short-sightedness it happens. God is with us; God is in us; God brings us to new life - together, in His Spirit. See it in a mother calming her frightened child, teens bumping fists at a lame joke, adult children caring for elderly parents, neighbors working together to protect one another, volunteers at church dispensing food to the hungry, parishioners coming together to celebrate another successful year of the RCIA program, and everything else that makes us Catholics one and makes us fun.
So, laughably and with humble, expectant hearts, we celebrate Pentecost, knowing, as we pray for the Spirit of God to fill us, God looks at this motley crew and says, "Yes!" And we say, "Amen!"
Father Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
