On Sunday evening I had the privilege of celebrating Mass with participants in the annual gathering of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) held here in Cleveland this year. We gathered in a celebratory mood at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel to recall the life-changing event of salvation the Church identifies as Pentecost. It was quite apt that I should rejoice in the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church with those called to the role of instructing others in the faith. This is exactly what the followers of Jesus did at the first Pentecost.
The Scriptures tell us that ?they were all in one place together? when the disciples heard ?a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were?. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.? (Acts 2:1-4]. We see at this first Pentecost the dynamics of the Spirit?s presence, which is still operative today.
We are called as the Church to be one. When baptized we are given the source of our unity with one another