In the prayers, antiphons, blessings and readings of today's Mass the words spirit and breath occur at least twenty times. In the Bible the words "Spirit," "Breath" and "Wind" are almost interchangeable in the contexts of creation, holiness and mission.Today's feast is a celebration of power, energy, dynamism and life. If we go back to the Book of Ezekiel (Chapter 37) we see the prophet watching in wonder at the thousands of bones clatter together to be covered with flesh and come to life as he utters the word in God's name. The "spirit from the four winds had breathed upon them." In Genesis (2:7) God breathed life into the clay that was to become Adam. In today's feast the Holy Spirit is a tumultuous force which drives the open-hearted to bring God's empowering and healing message to men and women of all languages and cultures.

In case we find the powerful wind of the Holy Spirit too overwhelming for us in our lack of self confidence we are still not without a model. In the First Book of Kings (Chapter 19) we find Ezekiel hiding in a cave, terrified because Queen Jezabel has vowed to kill him. He is told in a vision to go to the mouth of the cave. There three mighty forces pass by. But this time God is not in the wind and he is not in the fire and he is not in the earthquake. Then Ezekiel hears a "tiny whispering sound." God is in that tiny sound and Ezekiel gets back on the road again to do what God had appointed him to do.