Pentecost – A Time to Celebrate

On Pentecost, we celebrate the birthday of the Church and, this year, the 20th anniversary of the Southern African regions Pastoral Plan, Community Serving Humanity, as Bishop MICHAEL WuSTENBERG of Aliwal North explains.

The Holy Spirit is the Lords gift for us. We celebrate with gratitude the solemnity of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost. Twenty years ago on the feast of Pentecost the Holy Spirit gave us a very special gift: the Pastoral Plan for the Church in Southern Africa, titled Community Serving Humanity.

The Pastoral Plan is a great gift to us. We realise with gratitude that it became a clear pointer how we can serve transformation or conversion in the name of Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the model of humanity.

With gratitude we realise that the Pastoral Plan showed us the way to becoming a community. It brought us the gift of the Small Christian Communities (SCC). The word really becomes flesh in these communities. They are a space for growth in faith and for mutual support. And we see that people with backbone emerge from these SCCs.

With gratitude we realise that the encounter with the Gospel leads to our commitment. Many communities put the Gospel into practice. They embrace matters of justice and peace. The motto Masingathuli (Lets not be silent) became a trademark name for this.

With gratitude we realise that many Catholics discovered their personal gifts. They were trained, were elected by their communities and took up various leadership roles in close collaboration with the priests and the bishop.

Twenty years ago we were still fighting apartheid. We were concerned about humanity when so many were deprived of their humanity. Apartheid is gone. Thanks be to God!

But some problems remained, and new problems emerged. The call of the Pastoral Plan to become and to remain a Community Serving Humanity alerts us to discover and address areas where Gods beloved children still are dehumanised.

We can see how greed and stinginess destroy life, especially the life of the poor. We see unscrupulous drug dealers luring our children into misery. We see human trafficking, a scourge that leads our girls into slavery. We see young people selling their bodies in prostitution so as to buy some gadgets  some parents even support this. We see many children being born out of wedlock.

We see how the lack of teachers and poor schooling steals a bright future from our children. We see that expensive funerals waste the money that could be used for the education of children which could make their ancestors really proud. We see that professional training for young people is missing.

We see how sharing of resources does not happen; some get rich and forget about the rest. We see how corruption deprives people of their rights. We see that health-care is deficient. We see maladministration in many instances. We see that many of our people leave us; they migrate in the desperate search for work. We see that many resist the change of behaviour in the face of HIV/Aids, despite better knowledge. We see that people demand and request the killing of humans, of unborn babies.

You know best how to extend this list of social ills. We see so much and we could see still more if we allowed Jesus to open our eyes as he opened the eyes of the blind. Masingathuli! This must not become our future!

Alone we cannot do much. This gift of the Holy Spirit, our Pastoral Plan, reminds us that we must care to become a true and faithful community. We must care for and foster this community. It needs our support. I am grateful for all those among us who commit themselves to the Small Christian Communities. I am grateful for all those who take up leadership roles and speak up for Christ. I am grateful for those who out of gratitude support their Church and its works generously. The proclamation of Christ needs your financial support. Without it we cannot do what the Lord asked us to do: to bring his Good News into all strata of humanity. Together we will be strong.

Yes, this commitment is a sacrifice. And sacrifices are important. Their purpose is to bind people together and to bring about new life; that is, what we celebrate at Holy Mass.

Strengthened in this celebration of a community of communities you do other sacrifices. Indeed the laity are baptised to be priests in a very special way by bringing sacrifices. Parents sacrifice a lot for their children. Professionals sacrifice a lot when they stand up in their companies or institutions for justice and fairness, for values and convictions. Poor people generously sacrifice their money in order to support the spread of the Good News. People sacrifice themselves when they dare to stand up for Christ by criticising immoral behaviour, self-enriching office bearers and the like.

These are the sacrifices of the priesthood in which we all share through our baptism. And God loves these sacrifices. They bring about life. They bring about joy because they promote humanity. We can be overjoyed when we see them happening.

I am grateful for all committed Catholics who genuinely live the common priesthood of all. You care about community; you care about humanity; you care about Christ.

Christ sent his Spirit, the Spirit of courage and strength. His Spirit gave us the Pastoral Plan. I invite all of us to renew our dedication to the Pastoral Plan. Let us compassionately examine the state of our Small Christian Communities. Let us develop our Gospel-sharing. Let us support one another with joyful faith so that we can offer our sacrifices. Grateful people can be so generous.

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, of Christs community. Happy birthday to all of you! I hope you will celebrate the life of your life-giving community together. It is worth it. You are worth it. May our loving God bless you all!

This is an edited version of Bishop Michael Wustenbergs pastoral letter for the diocese of Aliwal North in the Eastern Cape.