Feast of Pentecost

This Feast is truly the Feast of the Birthday of the Church. On this Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles and disciples and empowered them to bring the message of Jesus to all the world.

There are three great signs of God’s love for the human race:

The first sign is created human beings out of nothing in order to share His infinite love with them, and give them eternal life.

The second great sign of God’s love is that Jesus Christ the Son of God came to restore mankind to God’s friendship, straighten out the mess we had created, and save us.

The third great sign of God’s love is the gift of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit inspires us to know and carry out our mission in life. The Holy Spirit guided the Apostles and disciples in their work of carrying out the mission entrusted to them by Jesus. We received the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, to strengthen us to do what God wants us to do in life. St. Paul points out that there are different gifts but the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4). The Holy Spirit helps us to discern our gifts and use them for the building up of the Body of Christ – the Church. In the early Church, and at various times, the Holy Spirit was manifested by extraordinary signs and wonders. But for most of us, the Holy Spirit is revealed in our daily struggles to overcome our weaknesses and sinfulness, and in our repenting when we fail. St. Augustine believed that it was fortuitous that Christ leave us and no longer walk among us physically. He believed that if he were physically present, we would be looking for him outside ourselves and not listen to him in the depths of our hearts, and listen to his voice deep inside of us.

Why do we need a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives? The Holy Spirit gives us: New eyes to see the face of Jesus in all who stand in need; new ears to hear the voice of Jesus in all who cry out to Heaven for justice; a new tongue to tell the message of Jesus to all who have never heard it; a new heart to share the love of Jesus with all who have never experienced it. Mother Teresa expressed those sentiments in one of her beautiful prayers: “Lord, open my eyes that I may see you in our brothers and sisters. Lord, open our ears that we may hear the cry of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed. Lord, open our hearts that we may love each other as you love us. Holy Spirit, open our eyes, ears and hearts in all the people who need our love, care and attention.”

May the Holy Spirit come into our hearts to give us the wisdom to know our mission in life and the grace and courage to carry it out!