Sacred Energy

“…When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues…

Now 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…”

From United States Conference of Catholic Bishops – Readings for the Pentecost Sunday
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060522-day.cfm

Who is the Holy Spirit? For that matter, what does the word “spirit,” even in its generic sense, really mean?

The author of Acts provides some vivid images that can help us discern a few hints about the domain of “spirit” — sound, wind, fire, and language.

Each of these symbols represents a different type of energy. All of them are energy with the power to transform.

Noise is a sound, and so is oral speech. Sound travels through the air in waves. It has been demonstrated by science to be a form of energy. Those sound waves can carry the musical notes of a Bach cantata praising God; or the horrific shock of sudden gunfire.

Wind is also a form of energy, a force of moving air that can engender metamorphosis.

Autumn gales blow colorful foliage from trees, revealing their skeleton structure and announcing a time of dormancy in the fertile underground. Windmills spin on plateaus and hillsides to provide the electricity that sustains our domestic appliances and technology. Yet a spring tornado or derecho can level thousands of crop acres. It can destroy entire villages, towns and cities.

Fire transforms matter into energy. The ancient images of a candle flame or a fire in the hearth evoke comfort, light in the darkness and warmth from the cold. But uncontrolled fire can consume and destroy everything in its path – forests, homes, and lives.

These images from the Pentecost readings suggest that the Holy Spirit is a vital new wave of divine energy. It was provided for Christ’s apostles and their listeners with preparation, direction, and purpose.

Its purpose is reflected in the apostle’s words of proclamation, a message that could be understood by each visitor to Jerusalem, “in their own language.”

The Holy Spirit, like the sounds, winds, and fire of natural creation, flows from the Godhead. On this occasion, its force erases artificial divisions and misunderstandings among human beings who speak in different tongues.

But note that everyone here is “gathered” in one place and described as “devout.”

The apostles have already been prepared by Jesus to receive this miraculous energy pouring forth from the Holy Spirit. They have been transformed and made ready to transmit it to others. The people in the crowd have also made themselves ready to receive it.

The energy carried by the Paraclete is graceful, intentional, and generative.

But we are all acquainted with other expressions of energy, and other kinds of “spirits.” In today’s electronic world, we are constantly bombarded by them.

So, as Catholic writers this June, we might want to contemplate:

What kind of energy seems to be most prominent in our daily lives?

How well are we focusing and directing our own energies?

How are we making time to receive the energy of the Holy Spirit?

How can we best communicate it to others?

Veni Sancte Spiritus.

Copyright 2022 Margaret Zacharias