The Feast of Pentecost marks the perfection of God’s plan of redemption. Through the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we are able to be children of God.
When God created man, he bestowed man with a purpose that was higher than man’s nature. By nature, man’s bodily existence was subject to natural decay. But God desired to share his divine life with man. Therefore, God gifted man with a supernatural gift – the gift of sanctifying grace. Through this gift, man’s natural life became subject to a higher principle – the principle of grace. Thus, God intended for man to surpass human nature and become children of God.
We all know how the stories goes. God created Adam and Eve. God bestowed his divine life on Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve, having the gift of divine life, were perfectly ordered. Their desires were perfectly in accord with their reason and their reason was directed to God. But Adam and Eve sinned. Their sin wasn’t an accident, for they had full knowledge of their action. And their sin was without excuse, for they had complete mastery of their desires. Despite having full knowledge that their sin would cut them off from God, and despite having full control over their actions, they sinned.
The consequence of their sin was, to put it mildly, terrible. The gift of divine life, which was the inheritance of humanity, was repudiated. Adam and Eve had committed treason against the King of kings. Through their treason, they forfeited their lordly titles. Through their sin, they lost their divine nobility. This nobility, which would have passed to their offspring, was lost – and their children, no longer having the gift of supernatural grace, became subject to death. No longer having divine life, we lost our status as children of God.
But God did leave us in our misery. Instead, he sought to redeem us. He sought to re-establish us as children of God – though we did not deserve it. Therefore, God became man and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ took on a human nature, and in doing so accomplished two things. First, he became capable of paying humanity’s debt. He became capable of dying in order to atone for the sins of man. Second, he created a bridge between humanity and God. Having a human nature, Jesus’ meritorious actions applied to human nature. Thus, Jesus became capable of restoring humanity to God. Jesus went on to die a cruel death. But, though He died a human death, death could not conquer the divine life that lived within Him. Thus, Jesus conquered death, rose from the dead and lives forever with God.
How then does Pentecost fit into this story? Pentecost is the fruit of Jesus’ victory over death. At Pentecost, the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit. This gift of the Holy Spirit allows us to become, once again, children of God – for all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God (Romans 8:14). As St Paul says, you did not receive a spirit of slavery…but…a spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15). On Pentecost, Jesus – though God – becomes our brother. And God – though once estranged from us – becomes our Father. This adoption as children of God, however, does not occur automatically. First, we must be baptized, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27). Second, we must live by faith.
Children of God, baptized into Christ and animated by faith, are given the supernatural ability to love God and to live as children of God. In practical terms, loving God means keeping his commandments. Jesus himself says, if you love me you will keep my commandments (John 14:15).
On this Feast of Pentecost, let us remember that we are children of God. Let us remember that we are not God’s children by right, but by grace, and let us remember that we own a great debt to God for all he has done for us – the least we can do is love him.
Ian Mahood – St. Joseph Seminary, Edmonton, Alberta
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