I’m not sure how many of you still carry change with you. I just keep some quarters in my car in case I need one for a parking meter. I took one of those quarters and have it here; I’m sure you’re all familiar with it. If you have one with you, I invite you to take it out and look at it. On the front, you will notice an image of George Washington, the first president of our great country. And, what’s on the back of the coin? Now, it has to be a quarter that was minted before 1999 because since then states have been allowed to put an image of their own choosing on the back. But, if you have a quarter that’s old enough, you will find an image of a Bald Eagle, our national bird. Why do you think we have an image of an eagle on the back of our quarter? For thousands of years, eagles have been seen as symbols of power and strength. Even in Jesus’ time, some coins had an eagle on the back to speak of the strength and power of the Roman Empire.
We Christians use another bird as a symbol; it’s a dove. We see a dove in many places in our stained glass windows. There’s one in the window that depicts Jesus’ baptism. You see it here in the fourth panel from the front on your left. There is another one in the third panel from the back on your left; that one depicts Pentecost. There is one in the choir loft window hovering over the throne of judgement. And there is one behind me in the far right window of our Blessed Sacrament Chapel that depicts the Holy Spirit coming down on the bread and wine to, as we hear in every Eucharistic Prayer, turn them into the Body and Blood of Christ. We hear in the gospels that a dove hovered over Jesus after he was baptized – it was a sign of the Holy Spirit of God that appeared as God announced: “This is my beloved Son.” The sign of the Spirit gave Jesus God’s strength as he began his public ministry. It is that same Spirit that Jesus promised his disciples, as we heard in this morning’s Gospel. It’s that same Spirit that helped the early followers of Jesus come to understand that he had come to save everyone, as we heard in this morning’s first reading. The Holy Spirit is the source of the strength and power and peace that God gives us. It allows us to live in peace even in the everyday struggles of our lives. Jesus gave his followers these gifts – his peace and the power and strength of the Holy Spirit that allows us to live in God’s peace.
It has been six weeks since we celebrated our Lord’s resurrection but, as we all know, the story did not end there. For the past six weeks, we have walked with the risen Lord, and on Thursday, we will celebrate his Ascension into heaven. Jesus’ Ascension obviously marked the end of his earthly life. However, we never walk alone. Jesus continues to be present to us in all times and all places by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also is present to us through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Jesus gives us the gift of himself that we might grow in faith and holiness of life.
With this as our backdrop, it is easy to understand why the disciples didn’t want Jesus to leave them. They were afraid, and they had had no idea what they would do next. But Jesus told them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” It was time for him to return to the Father. But, he assured them, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” They would never walk alone.
A few days later, he ascended in their sight. They prayed, and on the feast of Pentecost, their prayers were answered. The Holy Spirit descended upon them with tongues of fire. Filled with the same Spirit, they went out and preached the good news of Christ’s resurrection. In that moment, a confused gathering of ordinary, faithful Jews – who had little, if any, formal education – became the Church. And the world has never been the same.
We are the Church – quite likely as average as the first disciples of Jesus, and, without him, every bit as confused. At times, we deny him as Peter did. At times, we doubt him as Thomas did. At times, we might wish him to rain fire on our enemies, as James and John did. At times, we panic at the first sign of trouble, as all the Apostles did. How does Jesus respond? He loves us, and he never abandons us. We are each “the beloved disciple” in his eyes, and he nourishes us with his life-giving body and blood and gives us his peace as he leaves us the strength and power of the Holy Spirit.
Strengthened by these divine gifts, the Church has spread around the world, bringing billions of people to the light of Christ. This is the most amazing accomplishment in human history, and it began with a few courageous people who took the risk and followed Jesus. It continues today in you and me. The Spirit is among us and goes forth with us. May we all recognize the strength and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that we can live as Jesus’ faithful followers, live in his peace and be inspired to bring Christ’s love to everyone we meet in our everyday lives.