Readings and meditation on the Word of God on the Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2025

Delivered by Andrew Jost and Shendy Jost from the Parish of Saint Albert the Great and Jonathan Axel from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-11; Rs psalm 104: 1ab.24ac.29c-30.31.34; 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-7.12-13; John 20: 19-23.DIVINE BREATH  The title for our meditation today is:Divine Breath. People in the Arab world give great importance to the breathcoming from someone who speaks. As a sign of welcome and kindness towardsothers, he speaks so closely that his partner can enjoy the smell that comes fromhim. A stranger must feel strange with the culture like this one, but he mustbe able to accept and understand it. People from the south of Asia alsovalue the smell of their bodies and it’s natural to share that smell to thoseclose to them. One needs to give the impression that his presence is marked bythe smell that he sends to the people around him. Many other cultures in theworld have also the same type of relation and communication to other people whocome to have contact with them. However, there is a breath or blowingof wind that overcomes all kinds of odors in all people of the world, namelythe breath of love. The smell of breath of tobacco or roasted meat, certainfruit or fried food does not matter; the most important is the breath of lovefrom each of us that we send to others around us. We can meet anyone who isdifferent from all types of backgrounds, and if our breath is a breath of love,then every one else becomes our neighbours. The Holy Spirit of God blows becauseGod has power to do so. The smell must be a smell from God and it must be thelove of God himself. Love gives life, movement, new spirit, renewal,fellowship, peace and friendship. At the time of the first creation, God formedman from clay, God blew His Spirit on that created being, there was a life thathad never existed before. The people of the early Church were still overwhelmedby confusion, fear and not understanding each other, but the blowing of theSpirit of God gave them new  life andability to speak in languages which were understood by many others. Every follower of Christ is unique andthe differences in each of them are special gifts of God that explain theircharacteristics and identity. Breath or smell of love or hatred, diligence orlaziness, courage or fear, smartness or ingnorance can differ from one personto another. But the breath of love of God is only one that blows from HolySpirit to unite and strenthen all. The blast of human hatred is overcomeby the blowing of God's love. The spread of the smell of laziness and loss ofhope is overcome by the breath of divine love which pour new energy andenthusiasm. And this continues as to this day. So the divine breath is the HolySpirit that blows to spread the love of God to all of us. Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... O loving and generous Lord, we are grateful for this PentecostSunday that makes us mature as your sons and daughters, the followers ofChrist. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In thename of the Father ...