Pentecost

Ezekiel 37:1-14

At the time when this passage was written, Judah had suf­fered the shame of conquest. Even the Temple lay in ruins; spirits were at an all-time low. Our reading is a fantastic vision, or dream – in an age when dreams were sometimes prophetic – followed by God’s interpretation. God will give the people his Spirit, and they will live.

Acts 2:1-21

It is now fifty days since the Resurrection. Many pilgrims have come to Jerusalem for the Festival of Weeks. Luke, the author of Acts, tries to describe the coming of the Holy Spirit, but all he can say is what it is like. Divinity, to some extent, is beyond our experience and comprehension.

After the Last Supper, Jesus continues to tell the disciples about the mission they are to undertake. The “Advocate” is the Holy Spirit; he is the “spirit of truth”, and will be sent to the disciples, and to the Church, by Christ “from the Father”.