PENTECOST (part 2)

In the Upper Room in Jerusalem

The day of Pentecost sees the apostles gathered in the upper room on the top floor in Jerusalem (Acts 1:12-14), obediently waiting. The return of the apostles in Jerusalem is specified: the holy city is the place of arrival of the mission of Jesus and become the starting point of apostolic activity. It is not specified the number of people present at the Last Supper, probably more than just the twelve apostles, who are mentioned in the representation of the future church.

The presence of the Mother of Jesus

Is certain the presence of Mary, the mother of the Savior and of some  other women. Some exegetes parallels the wording of the promise of the gift of the Spirit made by Jesus before his ascension (you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, Acts 1:8) with the words of the angel to the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation (The Holy Spirit will come upon you, upon you overshadow the power of the Most High, Lk 1:43). Mary at the annunciation appears to be the equivalent of the church gathered for Pentecost, but in Luke’s account is also its center. Around her revolve in fact the apostles, women, and the brothers of Jesus (Acts 1:14), that is, all those who will see realized in themselves  the prophecy of Joel 3:1-5.

The presence of women

Mentioning the presence of  some women at the Last Supper Luke is probably describing the situation of the early Christian communities, in which the presence of women was not discriminated  as often found in the other Jews  contemporary of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit falls equally on both components of humanity. In Judaism, women were sometimes likened to publicans and sinners. During the worship in the synagogue they could not  stay amongst  the assembly, but occupied the harem, place reserved for them and relatively secluded and hidden. In the temple they could not go beyond the court of the women, could not attend the schools that provided religious instruction.

Their testimony in court had no value and could not even recite the prayer at the table. Already in the course of his public life Jesus had worked a revolution about the representation of women, benefitting them  in body and spirit on a par with  men (Lk 4.38 to 39; 7:36-50). Taking the initiative with  them (cf. Jn 3) and admitting  them to be His followers (Luke 8:2-3), to be equal to men to understand and deal with the things of God (with Martha, sister of Lazarus, dispute on the resurrection, Jn 11, in dialogue with the Samaritan woman speaks of true worship, Jn 4; Finally entrusted to women the task of the Easter, Lc 24.1 to 10, 28.1 to 8 Mt, Mk 16:1-8 , Jn 20,1-2.11-18)

 By submitting the Spirit in an indiscriminate way, the Creator express solidarity with all humanity, because in His plan of salvation includes both representatives of the human race. Of course, the prominent place it is up to the One who has already made extensive experience of the Spirit, since the announcement of the birth of the Messiah, the Holy Virgin (Luke 1:26-38).

The book of Acts marks the triumph of the freedom of   the Spirit, which  has been promised to every creature (cf. Gl 3) as an eschatological gift for the messianic community’, spreads, seamless, ever widening concentric circles. It ‘a gift for everyone, not elitist, it is a universal gift, not reserved for certain elected for a particular task, but to all those who request it (Luke 11:13). (CONTINUED)

by L. Lucci, Testimoni del Risorto, Villa Verucchio (RN) 2008