{"id":3479,"date":"2007-05-29T20:23:00","date_gmt":"2007-05-29T20:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/deaconsbench\/2007\/05\/homily-for-may-27-2007-pentecost.html"},"modified":"2007-05-29T20:23:00","modified_gmt":"2007-05-29T20:23:00","slug":"homily-for-may-27-2007-pentecost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2007\/05\/homily-for-may-27-2007-pentecost.html","title":{"rendered":"Homily for May 27, 2007: Pentecost"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
If you had to name one of the most quoted speeches of the 20th century, one near the top of any list would be the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy in 1961. <\/p>\n

Some of you may remember it. A lot of us have seen the old film images. On a blustery winter\u2019s day, Kennedy stood before the world and challenged all who heard and saw him: <\/p>\n

\u201cAsk not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.\u201d <\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably Kennedy\u2019s most famous quote. <\/p>\n

But earlier in that same speech, he alerted the world that \u201cthe torch has been passed to a new generation.\u201d And he began that statement with a grand declaration: <\/p>\n

\u201cLet the word go forth.\u201d <\/p>\n

It occurs to me, on this particular Sunday, that those five words could also sum up the true meaning of this feast, Pentecost. <\/p>\n

For in the dramatic events of that first Pentecost, when the bewildered disciples poured into the streets, their purpose was exactly that: to let The Word go forth. <\/p>\n

Let The Word go forth\u2026beyond the streets and alleys of Jerusalem, into the hill country of Judea and beyond. <\/p>\n

Let The Word go forth\u2026across the blue waters of the Mediterranean, to Greece and Rome, to Africa and Spain. <\/p>\n

Let The Word go forth\u2026into every continent, to be heard in every home, to be lived in every heart. <\/p>\n

And it all began on this day we celebrate, Pentecost: The birthday of the Church.<\/p>\n

On that day, the disciples could not contain themselves any longer. They needed to spread The Word. They needed to tell what they knew, and Who they knew\u2026and let The Word go forth. <\/p>\n

It is astonishing to consider where that Word has gone, and how far and wide it is preached. What began with a few frightened people in a darkened room in Jerusalem has spilled out and touched every corner of the globe. <\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find it in great, stained-glass cathedrals in Europe\u2026in thatched huts in Asia\u2026in hotel ballrooms and cruise ship dining rooms and hospital chapels from Bangkok to Brooklyn. It is spread in storefront churches and tiny private chapels, and even brought alive without any kind of church at all, in the daily actions of believers everywhere. You\u2019ll find The Word preached in dozens of tongues \u2013 just as on that very first Pentecost \u2013 and understood in billions of hearts. <\/p>\n

Our challenge today is to keep The Word going, to remind ourselves of the rugged beginnings of this rugged faith\u2026and to carry it on. To follow the mandate of those very first believers. To throw open the windows of our fear and uncertainty — to let in the light — and to let The Word go forth. <\/p>\n

It is a daunting prospect. But there are many ways, large and small, that we can keep the flames of that first Pentecost aglow. <\/p>\n

We do it every time we whisper a prayer for peace. <\/p>\n

We do it when we volunteer at a soup kitchen, or give to a clothing drive, or donate to missionaries overseas. <\/p>\n

We do it when we support the work being done closer to home, in this parish. <\/p>\n

We do it every time we choose to spend our Sunday mornings praising God, instead of finishing the sports pages. <\/p>\n

We do it when we hold the hand of a friend who is hurting, or bring a smile to someone who is lonely. <\/p>\n

We do it when we strive to love, to give, and to hope. <\/p>\n

We keep the flame of Pentecost burning when our greatest ambition is simply to be like Christ. <\/p>\n

Or, to borrow that most famous phrase from President Kennedy: we do it when we ask not what God can do for us, but what we can do for God. <\/p>\n

Two thousand years ago, men and women who had followed Jesus asked themselves that question on the first Pentecost. And we are the beneficiaries of their answer. All of us who gather to pray and remember on this Pentecost are part of their legacy. They cleared the path, and often died trying, so that we could walk in their footsteps today. <\/p>\n

Where will those footsteps take us? <\/p>\n

Who will be the beneficiaries of our choices? <\/p>\n

Who will carry the flame, the torch of faith, as it is passed? <\/p>\n

It is up to each of us. <\/p>\n

In a few moments, you who will be sealed with the chrism of confirmation will be sealed, as well, with an indelible mark on your soul. What began with your baptism will be confirmed — acknowledged by the Church. Strengthened with the Holy Spirit, you will become full and complete members of our Catholic community. <\/p>\n

This is a moment of joy for all of us \u2013 one that will change not only you, but us. We will be enriched in the days to come, because you are confirmed as a part of us today. <\/p>\n

This Pentecost, let\u2019s ask the Spirit to touch all of our hearts, as He touched the hearts of the disciples on the first Pentecost. Let the fire burn over you, so the flame can spread. <\/p>\n

Last weekend, at my ordination, someone gave me a card with a wonderful quote, from St. Catherine of Siena: \u201cIf you are what you should be, you will set the world ablaze.\u201d <\/p>\n

Think of what you can be, and what you can do, with the Holy Spirit to guide you\u2026to inspire you\u2026to ignite you. <\/p>\n

This Pentecost, prepare to set the world ablaze. <\/p>\n

And let The Word go forth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Prior to that, Deacon Greg worked for 26 years as a writer and producer for CBS News, where he contributed to \"The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric,\" \"60 Minutes II,\" \"48 Hours,\" (Emmy Award, Writers Guild of America Award) and \"Sunday Morning.\" He was co-writer for the acclaimed documentary \"9\/11,\" hosted by Robert DeNiro. (Emmy Award, Christopher Award, Peabody Award, Writers Guild of America Award.) His radio essays were featured in the bestselling book \"Deadlines and Datelines\" by Dan Rather. He's also a two-time winner of the Catholic Press Association Award. Other places you may find him: AMERICA, U.S. CATHOLIC, CATHOLIC DIGEST, REALITY (Redemptorist Communications) and THE BROOKLYN TABLET. He also contributes homiletic reflections to the parish resource CONNECT!, published by Liturgical Publications. In November 2009, he began serving a three-year term as a consultant to the Communications Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Deacon Greg grew up in Maryland (Go Terps!) but he and his wife today live in the beautiful borough of Queens, New York. You can contact Deacon Greg at dcngreg@gmail.com.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/author\/gkandra"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/204"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3479\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}