Each of us here today made a deliberate, conscious decision, to choose Christ and his teachings. We do not and did not make this choice in a vacuum. We chose Christ in a community that has a tradition, a history and a memory. Our tradition and our history include this 800 year old Order, and a 185 year old community established in a new country. Our memory includes the history and tradition of both the Order and our Congregation.

It is our memory, history and tradition as St. Catharine Dominicans that we will proudly take with us to share as we join our community in a union with six other Dominican Congregations as we move into the future.

We also remember and proclaim the teachings contained in the Scriptures we heard this morning and in the holy preaching we continue to contribute to this history..

Today as we gather as a Christian community to rejoice in the many years of service to the Church and the Dominican Order by our jubilarians the liturgy is focused on the feast of Pentecost, a time 50 days after Easter. We heard the Pentecost story twice in our readings but in quite different ways. Rich in imagery the Acts of the Apostles presents an elaborate symbolism of wind and fire building a magnificent tableau. The disciples are gathered together in one place where they are suddenly engulfed in mighty wind and startled by flames of fire resting on each of them, filling them with the Spirit and the power to speak and be heard by the many pilgrims present. The disciples recognized that the gift of the Holy Spirit must be shared with others. Though startling,this is a story that is easy to follow and to visualize.

In John’s gospel the story is simpler. John presents the risen Jesus as a bearer of peace. John’s account is brief and austere. The risen Jesus has brought this peace not for his immediate disciples only but so that he may send them as the Father has sent him, to bring that peace to the whole world. The risen Jesus comes in person, breathing his own spirit which is the Holy Spirit into them, offering them gifts of peace and joy and the power to reconcile others. Jesus asks them to carry on his mission and gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit. In John’s Gospel this short narrative seems to refer to the same reality of the founding of the Church as the Pentecost story presents in the Acts of the Apostles.

In Acts the presence of God is expressed by wind and fire and the immediate effect is that filled with the Spirit the disciples instantly gain courage, clarity and eloquence. They reach across all barriers to give testimony of the new covenant of Jesus.

In John’s Gospel Jesus is the one sent from God. Now the risen Jesus urges his disciples to carry on his mission. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." The gift of the Spirit will enable them to fulfill that commission.

We have been promised that the Spirit’s guidance will continue forever. As we carry on the works initiated by Jesus each of us has been given particular gifts by the Spirit to do good for others. On this feast of Pentecost we Jubilarians rejoice and celebrate the blessings and gifts we have received over the past 50 years or more. Let us remember – let us not forget the gifts received are not to be hidden away.