THE FEAST OF PENTECOST
*Fr.Dr.Ivo da C.Souza
After the feast of Easter, we are celebrating the feast of the
Pentecost. It is the commemoration of the pouring down of the Spirit of the
Risen Lord. Pentecost is the turning-point in the salvation history. Luke
describes the mission of the church and its inauguration (Lk 2:1-41). It is
the era of the Spirit. Pentecost inaugurates the era of the Church with the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Originally, Pentecost was an agrarian feast of harvest (Nb 28:16; Ex
23:28). It was called the feast of the first-fruits (HAG HASHABBUOTH) and
was celebrated on the fiftieth day, seven weeks after the Passover. It was
one of the three pilgrimage feasts, but already in the Old Testament it
became the feast of the Law-giving (or renewal) of the Covenant. Even at
Qumran, it was the feast of the law and covenant of Essenes. It was called the
feast of the oaths (HAG HASHEBBUOTH). The feast of the first-fruits became
"feast of oaths". Also, in orthodox Judaism, it became the feast of Law-giving
or Covenant.
The main elements are sound (v.2) and tongues of fire. The onlookers
began to “speak in tongues” (v.4). Is it xenolalia (gift of foreign tongues)
or glossolalia ("they began to speak in other tongues", v.4)? It is speaking
in tongues, it is not to communicate, but to praise God (cf.v.11). Love united
the onlookers, as it will unite humankind throughout human history and shape
world history.
The feast of Pentecost commemorated the Sinaitic Covenant, fifty
days after leaving Egypt. An interesting rabbinical text from Exodus Rabbah
shows how the Jews understood it:
"It is said: 'God thunders wondrously with His voice' (Jb 37:5).
What does 'God thundered' mean? When God gave Torah on Mt.Sinai, he did
for Israel great things with his voice. What happened? God spoke and his
Voice resounded throughout the world, Israel heard the Voice coming to them
from the South: they ran South to meet…”
According to a rabbinic tradition at the promulgation of the Law, the
Voice of God was heard by all nations, as we have already seen. It was
divided into 70 languages, corresponding to the 70 peoples of the world. This
tradition is recalled by the miracle of the "gift of tongues". Fire-like
tongues rested on each of the disciples. This may be related to a Jewish
legend, based on Ex 20:18: "All the people 'saw' (perceived) the Voice,
which came as a flame and was articulated into ordinary speech". The
association "fire/word (or law)" is found also in a Jewish legend,
according to which fire appeared on the head of famous Rabbis, engaged in the
study and interpretation of the Law (eg.Rabbi Johannan said that Voice of
God split into 70 tongues/voices, so that the nations might understand.
God spoke on Sinai-(Horeb) like a thunder and his Voice resounded throughout
the world).
Today we are witnessing a revival of the charismatic movements. They help
us to imbibe our Christian Faith for which we are grateful. The Church of the
Holy Spirit brings today to our mind the work done by the missionaries. The
Church of Margão was founded by the Jesuits in 1564. The church was destroyed
by fire during the invasion by the Muslims in 1571. The present church building
is the fifth one and was built in 1675.
The fair is useful for the provision (purument) during the rainy season. We
need also provision for our values and courage during the difficult times that
we are facing in India and in Goa: rampant corruption, criminality, thefts,
murders, rapes, political gimmicks… May we witness to the human and Gospel
values in the chaotic situation in which we are in Goa and in India!
