Happy (belated) Birthday!

In some ecclesial communities, Ordinary Time is known as the season of Pentecost (the portion prior to Lent being known as Epiphany). What does it mean to be in the time of Pentecost?

It means we are being who we have been called to be. "Those not busy being born are busy dying," said one famous caterwauler in his lyrics.

Pentecost was the moment when we became the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. It's sort of a new year...all over again. Now is when we put into effect all that Christmas and Easter taught us about our destiny. Now is when we render incarnate the Love of God in our living, moving, thinking, feeling, breathing selves.

The Holy Spirit came as a breath. The Gospel said that Jesus breathed on them. Remember the scene from Narnia? It's no coincidence that Lewis described Aslan's roar so powerfully. Foundations are shaken when Jesus breathes. Reversals happen. Tides are turned.

Remember the Spirit moving across the waters at the time of Creation? That happens again, each Pentecost. We are made into a new earth, born again of the waters of Baptism and the fire of Confirmation. So it's like a birthday, for the Church, for each one of us. It's a new beginning.

"Behold, I make all things new," says the Lord. Let's busy ourselves being born. Let's busy ourselves becoming new, every day a new Pentecost. Let's call on the Spirit to guide and direct our thoughts, footsteps, and hearts.

It's never too late to begin anew.

In many ways, Pentecost is the fulfillment of Divine Mercy Sunday. Every time we confess our sins, receive absolution, and make our penance, we are born again. We become new earth, ready to receive Jesus fully in the Eucharist. We become new clay, as though we were in Eden once more. We are rendered capable of rendering incarnate the One who is our destiny.

We were born specifically for this purpose: to make Jesus real, effective, present-- to be Jesus. What is our destiny? our destination? Only Him. This was revealed to us countless times: in the manger, in the Jordan, on the mountain, at the tomb.

Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of our salvation. Let's leap mountains, bound over hills, see how our God has come to meet us!