One Body, One Spirit (Pentecost Sunday)

Click here for this Sunday’s readings

Click here for this Sunday’s Old Testament reflection (A Harvest of Nations)

The Corinthian church was plagued by factionalism and in-fighting, with some members of the church seeing themselves as superior to other members, whom they saw as inferior because they were less gifted or had less wisdom. In this epistle reading, St. Paul is trying to alleviate this situation by reminding them that they have all been baptized into one Body, and as a result share in one Holy Spirit.

He begins by pointing out that without the Holy Spirit, they wouldn’t even be able to believe in Christ or confess Him as Lord, since faith is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The prophet Ezekiel foretold that God would send the Holy Spirit upon His people to cause them to obey Him:

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

He then points out that every Christian has their own gift from the Holy Spirit, and that there is none who doesn’t have a gift. Each of these gifts is just as necessary as the others, and none are superfluous. Therefore, no one should look down upon anyone else for not having the same gift. Rather, believers are to encourage one another to cultivate their gifts to glorify God and serve others.

This Pentecost Sunday, as we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, let us strive to make full use of the gifts of the Spirit and use them for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

J. Luis Dizon