Riding in the elevator at the hospital in Hamilton a few months back a nice gentleman was in the elevator with me. He looked a little dishevel, and had the scent of a recent visit to the LCBO upon him. He looked at me and said “So are you a priest?”. I replied “yes.” Then there was a pause. “Can I ask you something?” he quickly mumbled. “Yes of course”, I replied. “Have you ever had visions?” He immediately inquired. Staring at him for a minute, and pausing in my mind to see where the emergency button on the elevator was located, I replied "No, not really”. Then with an admitted fear I said “Have you?”. Then with a stern look upon his face he said “Not today, not today”.
Visions - when we think of having them, well they do at times make us wonder. But having a Vision is a very important and extremely different thing. Having a Vision is about knowing a direction a purpose.
In fact a Vision is a picture of the future which produces passion. God has a blueprint, a vision for you and me! His vision for us in beyond what we can imagine, understand, undertake - at least without His guidance. The Feast of Pentecost is all about Vision !
Over the next three weekends as we celebrate Pentecost, Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi Sunday we will look at “Blueprints for a Bigger Vision”. we are going to reflect on “Where to Start?”,“The Characteristics of a Godly Vision” and “Overcoming Obstacles”.
The Feast of Pentecost was all about Vision. The apostles were seeking to live faithfully following the Ascension of Jesus, but God’s Spirit came to them in that room and inspired them to live Abundantly. God had a bigger vision for them. He has one for you and me too.
Our Holy Father Pope Francis recently said this:
“In this Year of Faith, let us ask ourselves what steps are we taking so that faith may guide all our existence. One isn’t a Christian part time, at certain moments, in certain circumstances, in some choices. One cannot be a Christian like this. One is a Christian at all times! Totally! The truth of Christ, which the Holy Spirit teaches us and gives us, forever, totally affects our daily lives. Let us invoke him more often so that he may guide us on the road of the disciples of Christ.”
As we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost in this Year of Faith, we remember that on the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon the crowd and touched the hearts of those who received the Apostles' preaching - the Gospel reminds us they were "amazed and astonished." Why ? Because they were hearing something which they already knew voiced, visioned - in a bigger way, a larger way, a deeper way, a more dynamic way. They knew it came from God - because they could never have envisioned such things themselves.
Our story - our life - is so much richer then we can imagine. Our life is not a byline or headline on the world stage. Our life is a detailed blueprint in the heart of God that He is trying to get us to understand, comprehend and undertake. So - “Where to Start?”
Watch and Witness : In the First Reading from Acts (1:1-11), the crowds stood there watching the Apostles speak in their own language, in their own tongue, and as a result they understood. God does not speak to us in a language we don’t understand. He comes to us in a tongue we can, but sometimes we have to expand our vocabulary a little. Let me tell you what I mean.
When we undertook the Parish Centre construction project in 2009, the project managers brought me almost daily plans, sketches, architectural drawings, blue prints. They all had codes, symbols, indicators. They wanted me to sign off on them. Well it was not a language I totally knew, but it was part of the vision. So I took the time to learn it, understand it, study it. Now I look at blue prints and I know exactly what every symbol means, colour represents, indicators shows. I watched, learned and now understand.
When we undertook the Parish Centre construction project in 2009, the project managers brought me almost daily plans, sketches, architectural drawings, blue prints. They all had codes, symbols, indicators. They wanted me to sign off on them. Well it was not a language I totally knew, but it was part of the vision. So I took the time to learn it, understand it, study it. Now I look at blue prints and I know exactly what every symbol means, colour represents, indicators shows. I watched, learned and now understand.
Our lives. Our story is richer, deeper, more profound, than we think.
■ If you are not picking up on conversations you have with people on the elevator,
■ If you are not making sense of encounters you have with people at Zehrs and Target.
■ If that subtle voice of a child, that eager witness of an elder, that challenging question from a co worker or teenager is passing you by....
Then you are just walking around trying to get thru life in a mode of maintenance rather than mission - my friend - you are missing out !
Can you imagine if you were in that public square when the apostles came out of the room on Pentecost, and they were all speaking of what had happened and you stood there and said ‘what are they talking about?” - you would have missed out ! But they understood ! God spoke in their language; God taught them His. God wishes to teach us His language, His symbols, His codes, His blueprints - are you willing to listen?
Taking the time to reflect on the encounters you have in life, and to break open our story is a real opportunity that we all have. Perhaps the greatest challenge is taking the time to reflect on our story, particularly using scripture to help us understand our story.
As we approach our Feast Day - St Elizabeth and Mary are examples for us. They did not hear the voice of God’s spirit in the shaking of the earth and the fire - but the still small voice and that became the Visitation ! They were dedicated to trying to understand the vision of God for their lives. Are you about maintenance or mission? Are you interested in the blue print of God - and learning His language? Do you take the time to watch ? To witness ? To study His Blueprint ? It is part of His Vision.
Pentecost is an experience of grace, it is a call to action, it is an invitation to learn the Blueprint of God - His vision for your life. Let us amaze and astonish our friends and neighbours by allowing ourselves to be changed by the Love of Christ; let us be bold in professing our faith - be full time Christians to Watch and Witness because we know, and are watching for, the Language of God in our lives.