This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The liturgy and the Gospel is focused on the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete as promised by Jesus, proceeds from the Father and the Son who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified.
The Feast of Pentecost not only brings the Season of Easter to an end. From this moment onwards, the Spirit of God, whom we heard of in the Old Testament and shown in the Person of Jesus, now at last, resides within us forever.
It is interesting to note the actual experience of Pentecost as described in the First Reading today. The account as written, echoes and enhances what happened at Pentecost. Wherein it begins with the disciples of Jesus locked in the ‘upper room’ because of fear. Jesus appeared to them, He breathes on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” and then after that experience, the disciples were sent by Jesus to go out and be His witnesses.
For two times, Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace be with you”. Through the Gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is giving us “Peace”. Pentecost reminds us that while power, courage, testimony, and action are gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are also given peace, gentleness, tolerance, and forgiveness. Pentecost truly brings together all strands of Salvation history.
The disciples of Jesus hid but went forth with great courage to call on more and more people to turn back towards the Lord and to repent from their sins. Right from the very first day of the Church’s visible existence at Pentecost, according to the Acts of the Apostles, three thousand people chose to be baptized and therefore laid the foundations for the growing Christian community.
The Lord gave the Holy Spirit to His disciples, who then passed on the same Holy Spirit to the rest of the Church, giving all of its members, including all of us a variety of gifts and blessings, abilities and opportunities as we have heard from our second reading today, from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
Through the Holy Spirit, St. Paul mentioned that we have been given diverse and different gifts, graces, and blessings, and made to be one people regardless of our origin and background. Thus, there should no longer be discrimination or attitudes that show elitism or contempt within the Church from one to another just because a certain part or member of the Church felt that he or she is better and more pious compared to others, or more capable and worthy than their fellow brothers and sisters. All of us are equal before the Lord our God and we are equally beloved as well.
The Holy Spirit has given us all many gifts and this is what we should be reflecting on this day as we celebrate this glorious occasion, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the birthday of the Church, and the end of the glorious Easter season. We must first realize that the joy and the spirit of Easter must not end with today’s celebration. Rather, we have to carry on living our Christian lives with zeal and courage, to continue doing what we have done thus far, in doing God’s will and in carrying out whatever missions and opportunities we have been given.
It is also an important reminder for each one of us that we have been given different callings and vocations in life, and this means that in whatever areas and in whichever vocation we have, we should do what we can to glorify God and proclaim His Good News.
May the Risen Lord be with us and His Church always, and may the Holy Spirit continue to guide and strengthen us, inflame and encourage us so that we may always be firm in our faith and actions, and do our best to reach out to others with exemplary and shining faith in God.
May the Holy Spirit lead us and help us to serve God ever more courageously and may all of us be strengthened in all things, now and always, forevermore. Come, Holy Spirit and renew the face of the Earth, and come to bless and strengthen us, give us the courage and desire to continue to do God’s will, at all times.