A basic factor of Pentecost is astonishment. Our God is a God of astonishment; this we all know. Nobody anticipated something extra from the disciples: after Jesus’ dying they have been a small, insignificant group of defeated orphans of their Grasp. There occurred as an alternative an surprising occasion that astounded: the folks have been astonished as a result of every of them heard the disciples talking in their very own tongues, telling of the good works of God (cf. Acts 2:6–7, 11). The Church born at Pentecost is an astounding group as a result of, with the pressure of her arrival from God, a brand new message is proclaimed—the resurrection of Christ—with a brand new language, the common one among love. A brand new proclamation: Christ lives, he’s risen. A brand new language: the language of affection. The disciples are adorned with energy from above and converse with braveness. Solely minutes earlier than, all of them have been cowardly, however now they converse with braveness and candor, with the liberty of the Holy Spirit.
Thus the Church is named into being eternally, able to astounding whereas proclaiming to all that Jesus Christ has conquered dying, that God’s arms are at all times open, that his endurance is at all times there awaiting us so as to heal us, to forgive us. The risen Jesus bestowed his Spirit on the Church for this very mission.
Take observe: if the Church is alive, she should at all times shock. It’s incumbent upon the residing Church to astound. A Church that’s unable to astound is a Church that’s weak, sick, dying, and that wants admission to the intensive care unit as quickly as doable!
—Excerpted from Walking with Jesus by Pope Francis
Picture by Holger Schué from Pixabay.
