And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
This past Friday, President Biden conferred his first Congressional Medal of Honor, on a 94 years old veteran of the Korean War, Col. Ralph Puckett Jr., 70 years after the courageous heroism that garnered our grateful Nation’s highest military award.
Leading his men to take Hill 205 in the bitter cold, Puckett, though injured, unfailingly braved the enemy to continue to check on his men in the fierce battle. Without a thought of himself and motivated by his love for country and his men, he selflessly risked his own life so that others might live and the prize of victory would be won.
My friends, as we gather to mark and celebrate the great Christian feast of Pentecost, at its heart, we remember the empowering gift of the Holy Spirit on that small band of Christians, filling them with courage and motivated by love to proclaim the Good News of the Savior.
It is virtually impossible as we think of courage not to reflect on love that makes all courage possible. The courage of military men and women to risk their lives for the sake of others, is motivated by love. The courage of medical doctors and nurses to bring healing and comfort to the dying during our recent pandemic, is motivated by love. The courage of a spouse, who faithfully is present to their husband or wife, who may not even recognize them through the ravages of late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, is motivated by love.
Hovering in fear of the unknown in that upper-room on the First Pentecost, the disciples felt the searing presence of the Spirit, inflaming their hearts and minds as fear was transformed into bold courage, as they broke forth to make ‘holy trouble’ for the Lord.
From that first Pentecost and down through the centuries since, the small seed of the Good News, planted and lovingly nurtured by saints and holy ones through the ages is now handed to us as we are empowered by that same Spirit to continue to do the same.
With courage, may we be open to that same Spirit of Love.