Say “Holy Spirit,” and most imagine a dove or tongues of fire gently descending. But the Celts envisioned something wilder: a goose in flight—honking across the sky, untamed and impossible to ignore. For Anthony SooHoo, S.J., it’s the perfect image for us to recover this Pentecost—an invitation for the Church to learn to fly anew: spirited, unpredictable yet discerning, following the Spirit’s lead in faithful formation.
A Jesuit priest from New York City, Anthony teaches biblical history and ancient Near Eastern studies at the Oriental Faculty of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, specializing in Assyriology and the Hebrew Bible. He also serves on the pastoral staff of Caravita, an international English-language Catholic community in Rome. Outside the classroom, he’s an avid chess player who enjoys learning new languages and cooking—especially Chinese food—and he’s known among fellow Jesuits as someone who always knows the best places to eat in Rome.
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In his homily, Anthony preaches with humor, poetry and pastoral realism. He draws on images from Celtic Christianity, the physics of geese in flight and a delightfully pointed parable from Søren Kierkegaard about a congregation of ducks to challenge the church to stop waddling and take to the skies. And the Holy Spirit, he insists, gives us just the lift we need.
In the conversation that follows, Anthony and host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., reflect on preaching to a tired and fragmented church. They explore the power of storytelling, the role of cultural and literary imagination at the ambo and how to know when the Spirit is calling you to go off-script.
“If you’ve ever been around geese, you know they can be loud and uncontrollable,” Anthony says. “And that’s exactly the reason why these Christians chose this symbol. They realized that God’s Spirit cannot be tamed.” He believes the Holy Spirit “wakes us up, energizes, inspires and surprises us”—and that’s precisely what this feast of Pentecost calls us to embrace: a season of newness, new life and movement guided by the Spirit.
Scripture Readings for Pentecost, Year C
First Reading: Acts 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
Second Reading: 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13
Gospel: Jn 20:19-23
You can find the full text of the readings here.
A Homily for Pentecost, Year C, by Fr. Anthony SooHoo, S.J.
Most of us are familiar with the traditional images of the Holy Spirit: the dove, the wind, the tongues of fire. In the early Middle Ages, Celtic Christians instead envisioned the Holy Spirit as a wild goose. If you’ve ever been around geese, you know that they can be loud and uncontrollable. And that’s exactly the reason why these Christians chose this symbol. They realized that God’s Spirit cannot be tamed. The Holy Spirit wakes us up, energizes and surprises us.
The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard tells a story about a town where only ducks live. Every Sunday the ducks waddle out of their houses and head to church.
They waddle into their pews as the choir waddles in and prepares to sing. Then the duck pastor comes forward, opens the duck Bible and proclaims the Scripture to them, saying: “Ducks! God has given you wings, with which you can fly. No walls can confine you. No fences can hold you. Be free! Soar like the eagles.” All the ducks in the congregation shout, “Amen!” And, then, they all waddle home.
The story reminds us we profess our faith, not just with our lips but with our lives. Easter and the resurrection change everything. When we encounter Jesus in Scripture, in prayer, or in the experience of Christian community, we’re never left the same but are transformed by grace to become more like God and more authentically ourselves. The same power that raises Jesus from the dead is present and at work in each one of us.
Pentecost is our “Amen,” our “Yes,” to God’s promise and life taking root in us. And that means we can no longer waddle. We must learn to fly. Art Linkletter, the radio and television personality from the 1960’s, once was asked what was the key to a fulfilling life. He responded: “Do a little more than you’re paid to do. Give a little more than you have to; Try a little harder than you want to; Aim a little higher than you think possible.” The Holy Spirit empowers us to be more ourselves, more the people God created us to be. Inspired to use our gifts and talents for the common good, we enter into the very heart and mystery of Christ, who is love, incarnate and poured out for all humanity.
To be a Christian is to love as boldly and as extravagantly as Jesus did. It means making the values of the Gospel the center of our lives, so that everything we say and do is inspired by Jesus’ example of love. And we don’t do that alone. By virtue of our baptism and confirmation, we are the Body of Christ, the Church. Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit creates a community of faith where we’re supported, nurtured, and challenged. The world and the church—that’s where we learn to love. If we pay attention, God teaches us—gently but also sometimes by stretching us—how to live out our baptismal promises, to love unconditionally like Christ.
Geese can teach us a lot about being Church. Geese fly together in a v-formation. Each goose provides additional lift and reduces the air resistance for the one behind it. When the flock works together, they go 70% farther with the same amount of energy than if each goose flew alone. When we come together as a Church, around our shared values and a common purpose, we do more than we could do alone. In a culture that prizes individualism, we witness to the power of meaningful relationships and vibrant community. In a time of cynicism and division, we show the world that our differences can be a strength rather than a liability. With the help of the Spirit, the Church embraces the creative tension that comes with being one body with many parts.
The goose at the front of the v-formation expends the most energy because it’s the first to break up the flow of air, making it easier for those behind it. When it gets tired, however, it drops out of the front position and moves to the rear so that another goose can take the lead. Throughout a long journey this rotation happens many times so that the entire flock can share the burden.
Each of us is called to leadership in the Church. As St. Paul reminds us in the letter to the Corinthians: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.” Similarly, leadership in the Church appears in many different ways. Some lead through song, enlivening our worship by blending their voices with those of others. Some lead by advocating and working on behalf of the poor through their help in food kitchens and homeless shelters. Some lead by teaching and being examples of faith for our young. Some lead through sharing their wisdom and expertise on the parish council. Some lead by their presence, showing hospitality and welcoming all as if they were Christ.
Whatever form our leadership takes, it is about service and discipleship. Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet, is our model. We build up the Body of Christ, not our own egos or agendas. Service is a way of life, and, in order for us to be good leaders, we must be willing to follow Jesus in humility and gentleness. Like the wild and wise geese, we need to discern how and when to use our gifts, and when to encourage and let others take the lead.
Finally, during their long flight together, geese, constantly and loudly, honk at each other, encouraging and communicating with one another. Likewise, being part of a community requires us to be good communicators of our faith. We learn to share our experience of God with one another and with the world, in a way that encourages and consoles. When we experience disappointment or setbacks, Church reminds us to value one another
for who we are, not just what we do. On our pilgrim journey, we help one another realize and remember that God unconditionally loves each of us in a unique and wonderful way.
I think St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, would’ve resonated with the image of the Holy Spirit as a wild goose. He was a bit of a wild goose himself, unafraid to learn from his mistakes and to go wherever the Lord led him, trusting that the Spirit, over time, would help him discern how better to serve God’s people. His vision of the Church continues to inspire women and men today to work for a faith that does justice throughout the world. We’re all called to share in that mission.
And when we’re afraid or we don’t feel up to the challenge, remember what happened to the disciples at Pentecost. Hiding out of fear for their lives, they must have been frightened out of their wits when tongues of fire appeared over them, but they were not consumed by the flames. Instead, they were transformed, empowered to go forth and preach the good news in every language imaginable.
What began with Jesus at Easter is handed over to you and me and the Church at Pentecost. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection bring about a new creation in each of us and in the world around us. God is always calling us forth to something more, to something new. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit so that we can become discerning disciples, to listen with an open heart and to act boldly and wisely, to patiently embrace the radical, ongoing transformation that is Christian discipleship—even when it’s difficult.
God invites each and every one of us to create our own lives. But the life and world that we make is not our own. The Church is a living sign that we depend on God for everything and all are interconnected. Our lives have meaning and purpose. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, it’s up to us to discover what that is.
Perhaps your life may be the only Gospel someone ever reads. Perhaps your faith may inspire someone else’s good works. Perhaps your love and forgiveness may bring healing and hope to the broken hearted and the downtrodden.
Today on this Feast of Pentecost, we say yes to these possibilities.
