Lectionary Texts for This Week:

Genesis 11:1-9
Robert Alter, in his endearing and enduring work, The Five Books of Moses (New York: W.W. Norton, 2004), identifies the Tower of Babel as a “monotheistic fable.” (p. 58) The tale has often been interpreted as an attempt to scale the heights of heaven. But according to Alter, the story is against the overwhelming confidence of humanity in its own power, in this case, the power of its technology. As in the Garden of Eden, we want to “be like God,” dissatisfied with our creatureliness. Confusion and chaos result in this struggle for power.

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
This is a magnificent hymn praising God’s creation, wisdom and power. Again, God is the center of this hymn, not man/woman. Our gaze is toward God. The marvels of creation stir the psalmist’s rhapsody on God’s goodness. Just as God’s spirit (30) is the source of all life in nature, so is God’s Holy Spirit the source of all supernatural life. In the sensus plenior, this “Holy Spirit” has been applied by tradition to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. It is the Holy Spirit Jesus promised to send his disciples.

John 14:8-17, 25-27 (Focus Text)
Chapters 14-17 in John’s gospel contain the body of Jesus’ Last Discourse. Raymond Brown, in his An Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Doubleday, 1996, pp. 352-358) says that this discourse is comparable to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. The Johannine Jesus is still in the world and no longer in the world. He seeks to console those he must leave. But, at the same time, he wants to encourage them, much as a parent to his or her children when the time for leaving arrives. It is here where Jesus identifies the one who will be “alongside them.” It is the Paraclete.  The Paraclete dwells in all who love Jesus and keep his commandments and is with them forever. (353) The Paraclete is in an adversarial relationship to the world because what the Paraclete inspires is peace, whereas the world fosters discord.

Acts 2:1-21
Acts uses the imagery of Moses on the mountaintop with its mighty wind and tongues of fire to paint the picture of the new Sinai. This Pentecost is the renewal of God’s covenant. But now there are nationalities that will receive the covenant as a result of the fearless evangelizing of the disciples of Jesus. Even the Gentiles will be made God’s people.  This Pentecost is more momentous than Sinai. To be noted for our purposes is the oneness of the nations. No one nation has priority, rather all have been gifted and all in turn must recognize that giftedness.

Romans 8:14-17
Paul calls us to live, not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. Here again, the dichotomy is made between this world and the Kingdom, the peace that Jesus brings and the peace the world cannot bring. Living according to the spirit of Jesus is to fulfill our adopted status as God’s children. This is what God has predestined and it is our claim on God’s mercy and love.

By Father David McBriar, O.F.M., Ecumenical Officer, Diocese of Raleigh