LET US RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

PENTECOST SUNDAY. YEAR B.
June 4, 2006.
(First reading: Acts 2:1-11) (Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34)
(Second reading: 1 Cor. 12:3-7, 12-13) (Gospel reading: John 20:19-23)

LET US RENEW THE
FACE OF THE EARTH.

Pentecost is the celebration of the coming of the Spirit of the living Christ onto the human race. Pentecost is therefore the celebration of the liberated man's reception of the Spirit of the living God. Pentecost celebrates the joy and peace of the people who have been renewed. Psalm 104:30 says: "When you send forth your breath... you renew the face of the earth".

The gospel emphasizes the fact that with Jesus' resurrection he gives his Spirit to all human beings, with whom the risen Lord will continue the work his Father sent him to do. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" says Jesus.

The Spirit we receive at pentecost is a Spirit that remains alive in us eternally, just as Jesus lives eternally in the Father. Thus, the power of Jesus to continue his Father's work remains alive in us, active for ever, always renewing the world.

The Spirit perfects human life for those who receive Him:
Those who receive the Spirit of Christ become freed from the structures of sin, the structures of an oppressive, unjust world that leads to fragmentation, decay and death.

Those who receive the Spirit of Christ take on the life of the Spirit, that is, the ever present renewal of human life that cannot end in death, but leads to a life that never ends, a life of unity, peace, mutual respect and justice among all humans.

The life we receive from the Spirit enables us to renew our world, "to renew the face of the earth".
The world in which we live needs to be renewed for it is a decaying, disfigured world, it is a world in which the powerful exploit and destroy the weak, it is a world in which the powerful not only use force but also deceit and lies to maintain their control over other human beings. Those who promote or tolerate this disfigured world are the ones "whose sins... are retained".

"To renew the face of the earth" means to eradicate sin, it means to bring an end to the structures of injustice, oppression, abuse, destruction, division, falsehood and death. The face of the earth is renewed only by restoring man to his original state, the state of being the image and likeness of God, that is to say, by restoring unity, understanding, respect, truth, justice and peace. Those who embark on renewing the face of the earth are the ones "whose sins... are forgiven".

Today as we receive the Holy Spirit let us be ready to renew the face of the earth.