Tag: John 20:19-23

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HOMILIES

EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE

This reflection is based on John 20:19-23 and Acts 2:1-11 on the occasion of Pentecost Sunday.

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Pentecost Sunday is the day we recall how as promised, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord’s disciples. The narrative is dramatic: the disciples huddled in fear (despite the Lord’s resurrection!), the gust of a strong wind, a vision of descending flames, and the miraculous gift of tongue. What is more remarkable than the gift of tongue, however, is the disciples’ newfound courage to preach the Good News. It is a testament to what the Spirit can enable us to do when it descends upon us.

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Categories
HOMILIES

A WINDOW TO PENTECOST

This homily is based on John 20:19-23 for Pentecost Sunday.

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The Oratory of St. Francis Xavier on the campus of Xavier School Nuvali

There is a mysterious, but beautiful stained glass window in the Oratory of St. Francis Xavier in Nuvali. There are over twenty such windows in that chapel, each one designed by artist Carlo Tanseco, and each one a piece of art in its own right. Every time I walk into the chapel, I never fail to be surprised to find myself suddenly bathed in the light and colors streaming through the windows.

Yet there is one particular window that you won’t see unless you go into the reconciliation room, where it is installed behind closed doors. It’s an image as mysterious as it is instructive because it teaches us a couple of valuable lessons about the Holy Spirit in our lives.

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