We Are All Called To Be Prophets

This homily by Fr. Matthew Howell was given at the conclusion of Great Vespers for the Feast of Pentecost on which the Church celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit 50 days after Pascha. Fr. Matthew uses the first of the Old Testament readings from Vespers (Numbers 11:16-17, 24-29) to talk about how we are all called to be prophets today and what that means.

The reading from Numbers 11:16-17, 24-29
The Lord said unto Moses: Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of the people, whom thou thyself knowest to be the elders of the people and their scribes, and bring them unto the Tabernacle of Witness, and they shall stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there; and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the concern for the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. And Moses gathered seventy men from the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto Moses, and took of the Spirit that was upon him and gave it unto the seventy men that were elders. And it came to pass that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied in the camp, and they ceased. But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Modad, and the Spirit rested upon them, and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the Tabernacle, and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and spake unto him, saying: Eldad and Modad prophesy in the camp. And Joshua, his chosen one, the son of Navi, who attended on Moses, answered and said: My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him: Art thou envious for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets, whenever the Lord should put His Spirit upon them!