The Solemnity of the Pentecost marks the end of the Easter Season paving the way for the ordinary time in the Liturgical Season of the Church. There are two reasons why the celebration of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles remains significant today. First, it is a fulfillment of the promise of Jesus that his and the Father’s Spirit shall be sent to the apostles and eventually to us. Moreover, the Spirit will be the one to guide and give us courage to continue the mission of Jesus.
Promises are very important to us. We promise many things in life but more importantly when we make permanent commitments in life like marriage, religious life, and priesthood. Sad to say, we know that some promises are eventually broken especially when we believe that it is only because of our efforts that promises are fulfilled. Instead, we realize that whatever promises we make, especially those that are seen as a life commitment, can only be fulfilled with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is because the Holy Spirit has no other agenda except to lead us to the good who is none other than Jesus. At times, the problem lies in our inability to discern the promptings of the Spirit and thus, we end up reneging on our earlier commitments.
Equally important in Pentecost is the courage that the Spirit can give us if we are open and generous enough to receive the Spirit in our life. Just look at what happened to the apostles. They all fled from Jesus during his passion for fear of their lives. But upon the descent of the Spirit of Jesus onto them, these fearful apostles were gradually transformed. If before they were cowed by the religious authorities, with the Holy Spirit, they became confident in the mission given to them by Jesus. They felt joy amid their suffering in fulfillment of what Jesus said regarding the difficulties his apostles would have to endure.
The final indication of their courage was evident in the kind of death they suffered. Except for John, the apostles died a martyr’s death. Their self-offering as inspired by the Holy Spirit assured them that following the will of Jesus was more important than their lives. They have been amply rewarded as they are now citizens of heaven and thereby, serve as our intercessors to the Lord who is both risen and ascended.
On this great feast of Pentecost, may we truly welcome the Holy Spirit in our lives and see our great transformation, something that we probably never imagined could happen to us. We may, then, end with this Pentecost prayer:
Spirit of Christ, stir us;
Spirit of Christ, move us;
Spirit of Christ, fill us;
Spirit of Christ, seal us.
Consecrate in us Your Heart and Will, O Heavenly Father.
Create in us a fountain of virtues.
Seal our souls as Your own, that Your reflection in us may be a light for all to see.Amen.
