Acts 2:1-11 / 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13 / John 20:19-23
A sigh can be described as a deep big breath. In order to sigh, a deep breath is inhaled and an audible breath is exhaled. So it can be said that there is no such a thing as a silent sigh.
With the word “sigh”, the assumption is that it is a response to a helpless or hopeless situation, or an indication of giving up, or a lack of motivation or inspiration, or a sign of pessimism or subtle criticism.
That word “sigh” appears frequently in our text messages when we don’t know how to reply to a complaint or when we don’t know how to response to a sticky situation. So we type “sigh”, and hopefully that will end the conversation.
But a sigh actually has a few shades of meaning. Besides a sigh of helplessness, there is also a sigh of relief, especially when something tedious or burdensome is finished, or when an anxiety or worry is over, we heave a sigh of relief.
So a sigh have at least two meanings or even more. We know what it means when we sigh, and others will know what it means, when we sigh.
Generally speaking, a sigh is a deep inhaling of air followed by a quick exhale, and not a slow release.
But what would we call a quick inhale and no exhaling. That would be like holding the breath.
In the gospel, when the disciples were in the room, with the doors closed for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them.
The disciples, in a state of surprise and shock, probably took in a quick breath and held it there. But they didn’t have to hold it that long as Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you.”
And after saying that, Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This is a rather unique action of Jesus, where breath is used to symbolize the presence and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But this action of breathing on the disciples brings us back to the book of Genesis 2:7, where in the creation of man, God formed man from the dust of the earth and then He breathed into the nostrils of the man and the man became alive.
So the breath of God is the breath of life, the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son, as we profess in the Creed.
So in the gospel, the Risen Jesus is recreating the scene from the book of Genesis as He breathed the Holy Spirit into the hearts of His disciples.
He breathed into His disciples the breath of new life, a breath of forgiveness, a breath of healing, a breath of love, the breath of the Holy Spirit.
And we see the effects of the Holy Spirit in the disciples in the 1st reading as they went forth to proclaim the marvels of God in different languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.
Today as the Church celebrates the feast of Pentecost, the Lord Jesus breathes on us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But we can’t help but wonder if Jesus is breathing on us the gift of the Holy Spirit, or is He sighing at us with pity and compassion.
As it is said, we begin life with a wail and we end our life with a sigh; our last breath is like a sigh.
Not only is our last breath like a sigh, our whole life seems like a big sigh.
We sigh with frustrations, disappointments, hurts, helplessness, fears and anxiety. We sigh with the burden of sin and unforgiveness.
Sighing has become associated with pessimism, hopelessness and lifelessness.
But today we want to sigh, but sigh with relief. Like the disciples in the gospel, we want to sigh with relief as the Lord Jesus is offering us peace and forgiveness.
We want to breathe in the breath of God and breathe out all that is not of God.
We want to breathe in peace and forgiveness, and breathe out our fears and anxiety.
We ask the Lord Jesus to remove the blockages so that we can breathe in the gift of the Holy Spirit, and with the breath of the Holy Spirit we want to go forth to proclaim the Good News of the marvels of God.
Let us change our sighs of burden into sighs of relief because Jesus has forgiven us and saved us.
Let us breathe in the gift of the Holy Spirit and with the breath of the Holy Spirit, let us go forth to proclaim the Good News of salvation.