Rt. Rev. Timothy Ravinder, C S I Bishop in Coimbatore.

PENTECOST SUNDAY

A brief reflection: 

Pentecost Sunday signifies the birth of the Church. This Sunday is profoundly significant for millions of Christians in the world. In my reflection today, we discuss on the NATURE of the Church. In the words of the Creed towards the end we utter the following words. “... We believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church...“. Let us see this in depth.

 The Church is ONE

            Jesus gathers his disciples on the upper room and unites them all in prayer. They are one. Jesus prayed that they might be united. We see this clearly in John 1: 20-23. When we commune we are strengthened and we are also powerful when we are UNITED IN PRAYER. Disunity in the Church constitutes a source of scandal. The unity of the Church is the symbol of ecumenical enrichment and diversity. Spiritual life is never only lived individually – it is a corporate communion which is always in unity with others. 

 The Church is HOLY 

            To be Holy is to be filled with Holy Spirit. It is the love which unites the Father and Son, the breadth, ruach (Hebrew) that hovered the waters at the Creation brings forth order and creativity. Jesus, after resurrection breathed on the disciples so that they receive the Holy Spirit. Churches purpose is to MAKE PEOPLE HOLY. We teach, preach, serve, help, feed etc., and the one thing we intend to do is to make people Holy. When we look at our ancestors, our past Church leaders, Bishops, Priests, Missionaries, Women leaders... they all have been serving as humble servants of the Church. 

 The Church is CATHOLIC/UNIVERSAL 

            The word Catholic katholou (Greek) ‚on the whole’ means universal. The Church of Jesus Christ is intended to spread from end to end.  (Matt.28:19-20) From the ‘upper room’ the disciples came forth to preach, to baptize, to teach; and they are heard in all the languages of the people who were gathered there. A universality of the Church is a powerful THEOLOGICAL SYMBOL and h
istorical fact. The message of Christ is for everybody (John 3:16). Being ‘universal’ is our purpose – the only truly international reality that exists even today?  

 While recollecting one of the international meetings at the CSI Synod, we met a variety of people coming from different nations in the world. Not only we were different, we had a lot in common. We heard what we all spoke from our own context in different languages. This is one symbol, despite diversity - catholicity/universality of the Church was and is in display. The writings on the top of the cross depicted in all the languages of that time clearly indicates the UNITY & UNIVERSALITY of the church and its gospel. Amen.