Sunday, April 21, 2019

The Resurrection of Christ and Pentecost




Today Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ.  Moreover, the day is the beginning to the Feast of Pentecost (Feast of First-Fruits or Weeks).    

The Feast of Pentecost has its roots in the Hebrew Scriptures.  Today marks the beginning of the offering up of the omer of first-fruits along with other offerings (Lev 23:9-14).  Later there was the lifting up of the offering of the bread of the first-fruits along with other offerings on the 50th day (23:15-22).  Thus, the feast is associated with the harvest.  In later Jewish tradition the day corresponded with the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.

In the Christian tradition, the Resurrection of Christ begins the countdown of fifty days until Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is the first-fruits of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:20).  He was raised like the first-fruits of the barley harvest (omer).  Yet, this was only the beginning for Pentecost, whose fulfillment came fifty days later with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who is herself the fulfillment of first-fruits (Rom 8:23).

In his apocalyptic vision, John sees a Lamb standing as having been slain and having the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth (Rev 5:6).  In Christ, the resurrection is intimately linked with the mystery of Pentecost.  Christ becomes the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor 15:45).   

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/eucharist-offering-firstfruits-lawrence-francis-ligocki/




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