The Holy Spirit expands our horizons

May 19, 2002, Feast of Pentecost

	Bishop Robert Morneau
	Questions for reflection: 1. How large is your world? 2. How does the Holy Spirit stretch you? 3. How have your horizons changed in the last five years?

Several years ago I attended a workshop in Baltimore dealing with the thought of a Jesuit theologian, Fr. Bernard Lonergan. One of the exercises in the workshop was to draw a large circle and place inside of it the contents of our world: the people we knew, the schools attended, the parts of the world visited, the type of jobs held, the gifts and limitations of our unique personality. We were then asked us to write down some of our dreams and desires that were outside the circle, that were not yet part of our world.

I thought of this experiment in light of the first line of our opening prayer on this feast of Pentecost: "Father of light, from whom every good gift comes, send your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind, and by the flame of your wisdom open the horizons of our minds." What struck me was the word "horizons," the things inside our circle and the larger world beyond. The Holy Spirit has a way of enlarging our experience and calls us to places we would rather not go.

That's exactly what happened in Jerusalem on that first Pentecost. People from all over the place began to have their boundaries stretched as they heard of the marvels God had and was accomplishing -- the marvels of creation, redemption, consummation. Their narrow, parochial worlds were broadened and their horizons pushed out in unimaginable ways. Never again would their consciousness be the same. Never again could they return home and not realize that a new wind and fire was in their midst.

When St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians he was challenging their horizons. Since there is but one Spirit in Jesus, there is now only one body. The old way of thinking (and acting) whereby some were Jew or Greek, slave or free, must now be re-examined. Because of the one baptism all people were part of God's family, the Church. Such a revolutionary vision must have shaken the Corinthians in incredible ways. St. Paul was inviting the people of Corinth to look deeply at their roots. Deep down we are all one in the Spirit and that source of grace leads to a new unity.

When the apostles were locked in the upper room, they experienced great fear and isolation. They also knew guilt and shame. Their world was becoming very small. St. Augustine defines sin as "curvatus in se" -- a turning in on oneself. That was what was happening in the upper room. Suddenly Jesus comes and proclaims the gift of the Holy Spirit. With that gift came peace and a reconnection not only with Jesus but with the larger community. Sins were forgiven; relationships restored; reconciliation tasted. The horizons were extended to the whole world. The Spirit transforms our consciousness and our moral lives.

In the preface of Pentecost we pray: "The joy of the resurrection renews the whole world, while the choirs of heaven sing for ever to your glory." The Spirit in the liturgy continues to stretch our horizons. Now even the communion of saints is included in our world and history meshes with eternity.

Our opening prayer for Pentecost concludes: "Loosen our tongues to sing your praise in words beyond the power of speech, for without your Spirit man could never raise his voice in words of peace or announce the truth that Jesus is Lord."

When the Holy Spirit enters our individual life and that of the community, all will be made new. Then we will come to know that peace which surpasses all understanding.

(Bp. Morneau is the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay.)