Pentecost Vigil Mass
1st Reading: Genesis 11:1-9
Babel: the confusion of language
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[1] Now the whole earth had one language and few words. [2] And as men
migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
[3] And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them
thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. [4] Then they
said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens,
and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face
of the whole earth." [5] And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower,
which the sons of men had built. [6] And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one
people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they
will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. [7]
Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not under-
stand one another's speech." [8] So the Lord scattered them abroad from there
over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. [9] Therefore its
name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the
earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the
earth.
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Commentary:
11:1-9. The text goes on to describe the growth of evil (cf. 8:21; 9:20-27), and, as
one of its results, the fact that mankind is scattered and its God-given unity is frag-
mented. Thus, the text begins by talking about mankind when it was still together;
it came from the east, where it originated and settled in the plains of Mesopotamia
(in Shinar; cf. 10:10). But the people are filled with pride, and want to make a
name for themselves, and to guarantee their own security by reaching heaven by
their own efforts. This attitude is epitomized by the project of building a massive
tower (we can get some idea of it from the tower-temples of Mesopotamia, the
ziggurats, on whose high terraces the Babylonians thought they could gain access
to the godhead and thus dominate God).
The text also offers an explanation for why there are so many languages; it sees
language as a sign of division and misunderstanding between individuals and
nations. It is based on the popular meaning of the word "babel", connecting it
with the Hebrew balbalah, confusion; but in fact Babel means "gate of God". We
have here an instance of literary devices being used to expound deep convic-
tions – in this case the view that disunion in mankind is the outcome of men's
pride and sinfulness.
Babel thus becomes the opposite of Jerusalem, the city to which, the prophets
say, all the nations will flock (cf. Is 2:2-3). And it will be in the Church, the new
Jerusalem, that men of all nations, races and tongues will join in faith and love, as
will be seen in the Pentecost event (cf. Acts 2:1-13). There the phenomenon of
Babel will be reversed: all will understand the same language. In the history of
mankind, in effect, the Church is a kind of sign or sacrament of the union of God
and men, and of the unity of the whole human race (cf. Vatican II, Lumen gen-
tium, 1).
11:4. St Augustine explains the frustration of man's designs against God in this
way: "Where would man's vain presumption have ended if it succeeded in rearing
a building of such size and height, even to the sky in the face of God – since they
would have been higher than any mountain and would have reached beyond the
limits of our atmosphere? In any case, no harm could have come to God from any
straining after spiritual or physical elevation" (De civitate Dei, 16, 4).
This new sin of mankind is basically the same sort of sin as was committed in
paradise; it is a kind of continuation of it. It is the sin of pride to which man is
always prone and it has been well described in the following words of Blessed
Josemaria Escriva when he comments on 1 John 2:16: "They eyes of our soul
grow dull. Reason proclaims itself sufficient to understand everything, without the
aid of God. This is a subtle temptation, which hides behind the power of our intel-
lect, given by our Father God to man so that he might know and love him freely.
Seduced by this temptation, the human mind appoints itself the centre of the uni-
verse, being thrilled with the prospect that 'you shall be like gods' (cf. Gen 3:5).
So, filled with love for itself, it turns its back on the love of God. In this way does
our existence fall prey unconditionally to the third enemy: pride of life. It's not
merely a question of passing thoughts of vanity or self-love, it's a state of general
conceit. Let's not deceive ourselves, for this is the worst of all evils, the root of
every false step. The fight against pride has to be a constant battle, to such an
extent that someone once said that pride only disappears twenty-four hours after
a person dies. It is the arrogance of the Pharisee whom God cannot transform
because he finds in him the obstacle of self-sufficiency. It is the haughtiness
which leads to despising other people, to lording it over them, and so mistreating
them. For 'when pride comes, then comes disgrace' (Prov 11:2)" (Christ Is
Passing By, 6)
Alternate 1st Reading: Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b
God promises a Covenant
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[3] And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain
saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:
[4] You have seen that I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’
wings and brought you to myself. [5] Now therefore, if you will obey my voice
and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for
all the earth is mine, [6] and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy
nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
[7] So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all
these words which the Lord had commanded him. [8] And all the people
answered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
[16] On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings, and a
thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the
people who were in the camp trembled. [17] Then Moses brought the people
out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the moun-
tain; [18] And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord descended
upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the
whole mountain quaked greatly. [19] And as the sound of the trumpet grew
louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. [20] And
the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain;
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Commentary:
19:1-25. This chapter is written as part of a magnificent liturgy is which the
events of Sinai are re-enacted for the reader. The sacred author, then, does not
seek to provide an exact, scholarly report on what happened there; what he is
providing, rather, is a theological interpretation of the real contact which took
place between God and his people.
As in other important sections of this book, it draws on the great traditions of
Israel but combines them so skillfully that they have become inseparable; only
now and then can one identify traces of particular traditions. The text as it now
stands is all of a piece. In this chapter there is a prologue (v. 9), summing up
what follows, and the theophany proper (vv. 10-25).
19:3-9. This passage summarizes the meaning of the Covenant that is going to
be established. So, it contains the idea of election, though it does not use the
term, and the idea of demands being made by God. Furthermore, we can see
here the new status of the people (it is God’s own property) and the basis of its
hope (in the sense that Israel attains its dignity as a people to the extent that it
is faithful to the divine will).
All the basic teachings are contained herein: a) The basis of the Covenant is
Israel’s deliverance from bondage (this has already happened: v. 4): the people
are the object of God’s preferential love; God made them a people by bringing
about that deliverance. b) If they keep the Covenant, they will become a very
special kind of people. This offer will take effect the moment they take on their
commitments, but Israel will develop towards its full maturity only to the extent
that it listens to/obeys the will of God. c) What God is offering the people is
specified in three complementary expressions – "My own possession”, "holy
nation”, "kingdom of priests”.
the first of these expressions means private property, personally acquired and
carefully conserved. Of all the nations of the earth Israel is to be "God’s pro-
perty” because he has chosen it and he protects it with special care. This new
status is something which will be stressed frequently (cf. Deut 7:6; 26:17-19;
Ps 135;4; Mal 3:17).
By being God’s possession Israel shares in his holiness, it is a "holy nation”,
that is, a people separated out from among the nations so as to keep a close
relationship with God; in other passages we are told more – that this is the re-
lationship of "a son of God” (cf. 4:22; Deut 14:1). This new way if being means
that there is a moral demand on the members of the people to show by their
lives what they are by God’s election: "You shall be holy; for I the Lord your
God am holy” (Lev 19:2).
And the expression "kingdom of priests” does not mean that they will be ruled by
priests, or that the entire people will exercise the role of priest (which is in fact
reserved to the tribe of Levi); rather, it reflects the fact that God gives Israel the
privilege of being the only nation in his service. Israel alone has been chosen
to be a "kingdom for the Lord”, that is, to be the sphere where he dwells and is
recognized as the only Sovereign. Israel’s acknowledgment of God is shown by
the service the entire people renders to the Lord.
This section (vv 7-8) ends with Moses’ proposal of God’s plans to the people
and their acceptance of these plans by the elders and by all the people; "All that
the Lord has spoken we will do” (v. 8). The same wording will be used twice
again in the ceremony to ratify the Covenant (cf. 24:3, 7).
In the New Testament (1 Pet 2:5; Rev 1:6; 5:9-10) what happened here will be
picked up again with the very same words, applying it to the new situation of the
Christian in the Church, the new people of God and the true Israel (cf. Gal 3:20):
every Christian shares in Christ’s priesthood through his incorporation into
Christ and is "called to serve God by his activity in the world, because of the
common priesthood of the faithful, which makes him share in some way in the
priesthood of Christ. This priesthood – though essentially distinct from the
ministerial priesthood – gives him the capacity to take part in the worship of the
Church and to help other men in their journey to God, with the witness of his
word and his example, through his prayer and work of atonement” (Bl. J.
Escriva, Christ is Passing By, 120).
19:10-25. This description of the theopany on Sinai contains features of a
solemn liturgy in order to highlight the majesty and transcendence of God.
Verses 10-15 cover as it were the preparation for the great event, and vv. 16-20
the event itself.
The preparation is very detailed: ritual purification in the days previous, ablu-
tions and everything possible done to ensure that the participants have the right
dispositions, even a ban on sexual intercourse (cf. Lev 15:16ff) as a sign of ex-
clusive concentration on God who is coming to visit. Also, the fact that the
people have to keep within bounds is a tangible way of showing the transcen-
dence of God. Once Jesus Christ, God made man, comes, no barrier will any
longer to imposed.
The manifestation of God took place on the third day.; The smoke, the fire and
the earthquake are external signs of the presence of God, who is the master of
nature. The two trumpet blasts (vv. 16, 19), the people’s march to the foot of
the mountain and then standing to attention – all give a liturgical tone to their
acknowledgment of the Lord as their only Sovereign. All these things and even
the voice of God in the thunder convey the idea that this awesome storm was
something unique, for what was happening this special presence of God on
Sinai, could never happen again.
Israel will never forget this religious experience, as we can see from the Psalms
(cf. Ps 18:8-9; 29:3-4; 77:17-18; 97:2ff). In the New Testament, extraordinary
divine manifestations will carry echoes of this theophany (cf. Mt 27:45; 51; Acts
2:2-4).
Alternate 1st Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14
The dry bones
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[1] The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the
Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. [2] And he
led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and
lo, there were very dry. And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
And I answered, "O Lord God, thou knowest." Again he said to me, "Prophesy to
these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says
the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you
shall live. [6] And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you,
and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall
know that I am the Lord."
[7] So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise,
and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. [8] And as
I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin
had covered them; but there was no breath in them. [9] Then he said to me,
"Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says
the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live." [10] So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath
came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great
host.
[11] Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.
Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut
off.' [12] Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I
will open their graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will
bring you home into the land of Israel. [13] And you shall know that I am the
Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
[14] And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in
your own land; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done
it, says the Lord."
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Commentary:
37:1-14. This remarkable vision of the bones being brought back to life sets the
scene for the climax of the resurgence of Israel, the unification of the two kingdoms
(cf. 37:15-28). The dramatic contrast drawn here between death and life, bones
and spirit, shows that the revitalization that God will bring about goes much further
than material reconstruction or simply a return to the promised land; it implies,
rather, a new beginning, both personal and social.
The vision itself (vv. 2-10) takes place on an immense plain (cf. 3:22-23) and it
addresses the exiles' profound concern about their future: "Our bones are dried
up, and our hope is lost" (v. 11). It is one of Ezekiel's most famous and most
commented-on visions because it is very vivid and easy to understand. The
prophet himself explains it as having to do with the destruction-restoration of
Israel (vv. 11-14), though the Fathers of the Church see in it veiled references to
the resurrection of the dead: "The Creator will revive our mortal bodies here on
earth; he promises resurrection, the opening of sepulchers and tombs, and the
gift of immortality […]. And in all this, we see that he alone is God, who can do
all things, the good Father who from his endless bounty will give life to the life-
less" (St Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, 5, 15, 1). St Jerome writes in similar
terms: "The image of the resurrection would not have been used to describe the
restoration of the people of Israel if the future resurrection of the dead had not
been foreseen, because no one can be led to draw a conclusion from an idea
that has no basis is reality" (Commentarii in Ezechielem, 27, 1ff.
"I will put my Spirit within you" (v. 14). The spirit of the Lord is, at least, the power
of God (cf. Gen 2:7) performing an act of creation. It is also the principle of life
causing man to "become a living being" (Gen 2:7); and, certainly, it is the prin-
ciple of supernatural life. The same God that created all things can revitalize his
demoralized people in Babylon and can allow humankind to partake of his own
life. This promise, like others found in the prophets (cf. 11:19; Jer 31:31-34; Joel
3:1-5) will find its complete fulfillment at Pentecost, when the Spirit descends on
the apostles: "According to these promises, at the ‘end time' the Lord's Spirit will
renew the hearts of men, engraving a new law in them. He will gather and recon-
cile the scattered and divided peoples; he will transform the first creation, and
God will dwell there with men in peace" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 715).
"내가 너희 안에 내 영을 넣어 주리라"
(에제키엘 37,14). 주님의 영(the spirit of the
Lord)은, 적어도, 창조의 행위를 수행하시는, 하느님의 힘(the power of
God)(창세 2,7
참조)입니다. 이 영은 또한, 사람으로 하여금
"한 명의 살아있는 있음(a living being)"
(창세 2,7)이 되도록 야기하는,
생명의 원리(the principle of life)이며, 그리하여
확실하게, 이 영은 초자연적 생명의 원리(the principle of supernatural life)입니다.
모든 사물들을 창조하셨던 바로 이 동일한 하느님은 바빌론(Babylon)에 있는 당신의
부도덕하게 된 백성에게 생기를 회복시킬 수 있으시며 그리고 인류가 당신 고유의
생명을 받는 것을 허락하실 수 있으십니다. 바로 이 약속은, 예언서들(에제키엘 11,19;
예레미야 31,31-34ㅣ 요엘 3,15 참조)에서 발견되는 다른 약속들처럼, 사도들 위에
거룩한 영(the Spirit)께서 강림하실 때인, 성령 강림일(Pentecost)에, 다음과 같은,
그 완전한 구현(its complete fulfillment)을 장차 발견할 것입니다:
"이들 약속들에
따라, '마지막 시기(end time)'(*)에 주님의 거룩한 영께서는
사람들의 심장(hearts
of men)들을, 그들 안에 한 개의 새로운 법(a new
law)(**)을 새김으로써, 장차
새롭게 하실 것입니다. 당신께서는 흩어지고 그리하여 분열된 백성들을 장차 한데
모으시고 그리고 화해시킬 것이며, 그리하여 첫 번째 창조(the first creation)를
장차 변화시킬 것이고, 그리고 하느님께서는 평화 안에서 사람들과 함께 거기에
장차 거주하실 것입니다" [가톨릭 교회 교리서(Catechism of the Catholic
Church), 제715항].
-----
(*) 번역자 주: 여기서 말하는 "마지막 시기(end time)" 는 오순절에 발생하였던
첫 번째 성령 강림부터, 즉, 교회가 탄생한 때(사도행전 2)부터 예수 재림의
날까지를 말한다, 즉, 소위 말하는, "교회의 시대" 혹은
"은총(grace)의 시대"를
말한다.
(**) 번역자 주: "사람들의 심장들"에 새겨진다는 바로 이
"한 개의 새로운 법
(a new law)"은, 새 계명인, "사랑(love)의 법"을 말할 것이다.
-----
Alternate 1st Reading:
Joel 2:28-32 (Revised Standard Bible)
Joel 3:1-5 (New American Bible)
The Spirit poured out
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[28] And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
[29] Even upon the menservants and maidservants
in those days, I will pour out my spirit.
[30] and I will give portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and
columns of smoke. [31] The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to
blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. [32] And it shall
come to pass that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for
in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord
has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
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Commentary:
2:18-3:21. The second part of the book is all about salvation. The Lord’s com-
passion (2:18) is shown by the message he sends via the prophet to the people
in response to their conversion: "The Lord answered and said to his people”
(2:19). On the Lord’s behalf the prophet encourages Judah and Jerusalem, telling
them that they have no reason to be afraid, for the Lord is going to deliver them
from their afflictions and provide them with every sort of earthly good (symbolized
here by the produce of the earth – grain, wine, oil: 2:19-27).
But the high point will be when God pours out his "spirit on all flesh …” (2:28).
The outpouring of the Spirit is the definitive sign that the "day of the Lord” has
come. That "day” is mentioned five times in the book (1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14),
each time with greater emphasis. The day of the Lord is an End time when a
number of things will happen: wickedness will be punished (1:15; 2:1-3); the
power of the Lord will be manifested by portents in the heavens and on earth
(2:30-31); and, above all, it is the day when the Lord will judge all nations (3:1-8).
2:28-32. This is the great passage about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The
word "afterward” in v. 28 marks the transition from the material benefits described
in the previous verses to spiritual benefits. The outpouring of the Spirit involves
charismatic and prophetical gifts primarily (moral gifts derive from these). This
infusion of the Spirit is the fulfillment of an ancient promise, found in Numbers
11:16-30: "Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, […] and I will take
some of the spirit which is upon you and put it upon them, […] Would that all the
Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” This
hope is accentuated in Joel, for now no limits are placed on who will benefit from
it – elders, young people, and even servants (vv. 28-29). And the Lord will once
more perform wondrous things through them (v. 30), like those done by prophets
in the strict sense (cf. Deut 13:2; etc.).
St Peter sees this promise being fulfilled when the Holy Spirit is poured out on the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21).
"Peter turns to this passage from Joel to explain
the significance of what has
occurred, and the signs which those present have
seen: ‘the pouring out of the
Holy Spirit’. It is a super-natural work of God,
carried out with the signs typical of
the coming of the Lord, as they were foretold
by the prophets and realized in the
New Testament with the coming of Christ”(John Paul II, Address, 8 November 1989).
Therefore, too, in the tradition of the
Church, this descent of the Holy Spirit is seen
as an extension of his descent on Jesus in the river Jordan:
"God promised through the mouths of his prophets that in
the last days he would
pour out his Spirit on all his servants, and that they too would prophesy. Thus, the
Spirit of God, who had become the Son of man, so that by remaining within him,
he would inhabit the heart of mankind and animate
all the works carried out by the
hands of God, fulfilling the will of the Father
through all men and making all men
new – new creations in Christ. Luke tells us
that after the ascension of the Lord,
the Spirit descended on the apostles at Pentecost, to restore men to new life and
to bring the new covenant to completion.
Therefore, the disciples praised God in
all the tongues of men, laying all peoples
open to the action of the Spirit and all
nations open to the power and authority
of God” (St Irenaeus, Adversus haereses,
3, 17, 1-2).
2nd Reading: Romans 8:22-27
Christians are Children of God (Continuation)
----------------------------------------------------------------
[22] We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until
now; [3] and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of
the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our
bodies. [24] For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what he sees? [25] But if we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it in patience.
[26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to
pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for
words. [27] And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of
the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of
God.
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Commentary:
19-21. To make his point more vividly St Paul, in a metaphor, depicts the whole
of creation, the material universe, as a living person, groaning in pain impatiently
waiting for a future event, raising its head, straining to see something appear on
the horizon.
The material world is indeed, through God's design, linked to man and his des-
tiny. "Sacred Scripture teaches that man was created 'in the image of God,' as
able to know and love his Creator, and as set by him over all earthly creatures
that he might rule them, and make use of them, while glorifying God" (Vatican
II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 12). The futility to which creation is subject is not so
much corruption and death as the disorder resulting from sin. According to God's
plan material things should be resources which enable man to attain the ultimate
goal of his existence. By using them in a disordered way, disconnecting them
from God, man turns them into instruments of sin, which therefore are subject
to the consequences of sin.
"Are we of the twentieth century not convinced of the overpoweringly eloquent
words of the Apostle of the Gentiles concerning the 'creation (that) has been
groaning in travail together until now' and 'waits with eager longing for the revea-
ling of the sons of God', the creation that' was subjected to futility'? Does not the
previously unknown immense progress--which has taken place especially in the
course of this century--in the field of man's dominion over the world itself reveal--
to a previously unknown degree--that manifold subjection 'to futility'? [...] The
world of the previously unattained conquests of science and technology--is it not
also the world 'groaning in travail' that 'waits with eager longing for the revealing
of the sons of God'?" (John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis", 8).
Reestablishment of the order willed by God, bringing the whole world to fulfill its
true purpose, is the particular mission of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, the
true Lord of history: "'The arm of the Lord has not been shortened.' God is no
less powerful today than he was in other times; his love for man is no less true.
Our faith teaches us that all creation, the movement of the earth and the other
heavenly bodies, the good actions of creatures and all the good that has been
achieved in history, in short everything, comes from God and is directed toward
him.
"The action of the Holy Spirit may pass unnoticed because God does not reveal
to us his plans, and because man's sin obscures the divine gifts. But faith tells
us that God is always acting. He has created us and maintains us in existence,
and he is leading all creation by his grace towards the glorious freedom of the
children of God" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 130).
Gospel Reading: John 7:37-39
Different opinions about Jesus
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[37] On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed,
"If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. [38] He who believes in me, as
the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’" [39] Now
this he said about the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for
as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
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Commentary:
37-39. On each of the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles the high priest went
to the pool of Siloam and, used a golden cup to bring water to the temple and
sprinkle it on the altar, in remembrance of the water which sprang up miraculously
in the desert, asking God to send rain in plenty (cf. Ex l7:1-7). Meanwhile, a
passage from the prophet Isaiah was chanted (cf. Is 12:3) which told of the com-
ing of the Saviour and of the outpouring of heavenly gifts that would accompany
him; Ezekiel 47 was also read, in which it spoke of the torrents of water which
would pour out of the temple. Jesus, who would have been at this ceremony, now
proclaims – in the presence of a huge crowd, undoubtedly, because it was the
most solemn day of the festival – that that time has come: "If any one thirst, let
him come to me and drink . . .". This invitation recalls the words of divine wisdom:
"Come to me, you who desire me, and eat your fill" (Sir 24:19; cf. Prov 9:4-5).
Our Lord presents himself as him who can fill man’s heart and bring him peace
(cf. also Mt 11:28). In this connexion St Augustine exclaims: "You made us for
yourself, Lord, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you" (Confessions,
1, 1, 1).
Jesus’ words as preserved in v. 37 led St Alphonsus to write this tender commen-
tary full of love for our Saviour: "In Jesus Christ we have three fountains of grace.
The first is the fountain of mercy, where we can be purified of all the stains of our
sins. […] The second is that of love: no one who meditates on the suffering and
shame that Jesus Christ undergoes out of love for us, from his birth to his death,
can fail to be kindled by that happy fire which comes down on earth to set on
fire the hearts of all men. […] The third is the fountain of peace: let him who
seeks peace of heart come to me, who is the God of peace" (Meditations for Ad-
vent, med. 8).
Furthermore, when Jesus speaks of "rivers of living water" flowing out of his heart,
he is probably referring to the prophecy in Ezekiel 36:25ff where it is announced
that in messianic times the people will be sprinkled with clean water and will be
given a new spirit and their heart of stone will be changed for a heart of flesh. In
other words, Jesus, once he has been exalted as befits his position as Son of
God, will send at Pentecost the Holy Spirit, who will change the hearts of those
who believe in him. "For this reason, Christian tradition has summarized the
attitude we should adopt towards the Holy Spirit in just one idea – docility. That
means we should be aware of the work of the Holy Spirit all around us, and in our
own selves we should recognize the gifts he distributes, the movements and
institutions he in spires, the affections and decisions he provokes in our hearts"
(Bl. J. Escriva, Christ is Passing By, 130).
To say that the Holy Spirit will come visibly on the day of Pentecost does not
mean that he has not been active before: when the prophets of the Old Testa-
ment speak they are inspired by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Pet 1:21) and there are
countless passages in the New Testament where we are told that he is acting:
for example, he overshadows the Blessed Virgin at the Annunciation (cf. Lk 1:35);
he moves Zechariah to prophesy the wonders of the Lord (cf. Lk 1:67-79), and
Simeon to proclaim that the Saviour of the world has come (cf. Lk 2:25-38).
But, asks St Augustine, "how are the words of the Evangelist to be understood:
"The Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus was not yet glorified’, if not in the
sense that, after the glorification of Christ, there would certainly be a giving or
sending of the Holy Spirit of such a kind as there had never been before?"
(De Trinitate, 4, 20). Our Lord was referring, therefore, to the coming of the Holy
Spirit after his ascension into heaven, an outpouring which St John sees as sym-
bolically anticipated when Christ’s side is pierced by a lance and blood and water
flow out (Jn 19:34). The Fathers saw in this the birth of the Church and the sanc-
tifying power of the sacraments, especially those of Baptism and the Eucharist.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태,
출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다. 그리고 본문 중의 우리말 번역문에
대한 저작권은 엮은이에게 있으며, 본문 중의 우리말 번역문들을 복사하여 가져가는 것을
허락하지 않습니다.]