Happy Birthday, Church!


Pentecost Sunday,
Jn. 20: 19-23

Theologians and faithful alike are saying that the birthday of the Church is on Pentecost Sunday, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and consequently, the whole Church. Others say that the birth of the Church starts at the Institution of the Eucharist, others say that it is throughout the life of the Lord that the Church was born because the Lord called Simon "Rock" and on this rock, He will build his Church.

No matter when the birthday of the Church would be, it still means one thing: we came from the Lord, the Lord beget us. Our lives, our beating hearts, our whole being is an offshoot of the tremendous love of the Lord who wants to share this same love with us. This beautiful God who has no beginning started the whole cycle of sharing His love by creating us. But because of our selfishness we didn't give this same love back to him. Though He punishes, he doesn't condemn. Instead, he sent prophets in time to remind us, until He send His very own Son to redeem us and to take us back to Him. Now, he sends us His beloved Spirit so that we can still see Him and live Him, and breathe Him. Need we ask what life means, who God means for us? This very breath is His life to us, our very own strength that we use to please ourselves came from Him. Need we ask where God is?

Happy Birthday, Church. But I hope we realize the real implications of celebrating this wonderful birthday - that from now on it is not us who live, but it is Christ, God, and His Spirit who lives in us and in others.

Photo: Pentecost - Duccio di Buoninsegna (1308) Tempera on wood
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena

Copyright (c) 2006
Joselito Jopson
All rights reserved.

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