SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST

Receive the Holy Spirit, Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them”

Jn 20, 19-23

Rev. Alexander Diaz

Today we celebrate the solemnity of Pentecost, the feast of the Holy Spirit, this is the feast in which the church is born and consolidates without fear or doubt, the Church is not afraid.  Today’s liturgy tells us that after the Ascension of Jesus, the Apostles with the Mother of Jesus were reunited.  It was the day of the Feast of Pentecost. 

They were afraid to go out and preach. Suddenly, there came from the sky a noise like a “strong driving wind” and “tongues as of fire” which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. In those days there were many travelers and visitors from Jerusalem that came from all parts of the world to celebrate the feast of the Jews’ Pentecost . 

Each one heard the Apostles speak in their own native language and they understood what they said perfectly.  All of them, the Apostles, as of that day, were no longer scared and went out to preach to all the world Jesus’ teachings.

The Holy Spirit filled them with the strength to fulfill the great mission they had to accomplish, bring Jesus words to the whole world, to all the nations and baptized all men in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  On that day, the Church truly came to existence as such.

¿Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. The church teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the love that exists between the Father and the Son.  That love is so big and so perfect that it forms a Third Person.  The Holy Spirit fills our souls in Baptism and afterwards, in a perfect manner, in Confirmation. 

With God’s holy love inside of us, we are able to love God and our neighbor.  The Holy Spirit helps us to fulfill our lives compromise with Jesus.  We are call to grow in the Spirit.  We are invited to mature both humanly and spiritually, to do so we need the constant presence of God in our lives.   

The Word reminds us that the disciples were reunited (as many times we reunite ourselves), but they were behind closed doors (it does not refers only to physical doors but also the doors of our hearts),  they were afraid (I have to decipher the fears that surround my life, fears that do not allow me to grow as a person or as a believer).

  

 The Lord knows very well that to carry out the titanic mission of growing and presenting God to the world,  it is necessary to have the help of God Himself.   The human being does not have enough strength to, on his own, stay in the constant presence of God. That is the reason why we need His help, His breath and His encouragement.

¿Do you live under the Spirit’s law?

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the testimony of His important actions within us.   We are Christians in the measure that we allow God to transform us and prepare us to be His followers.  “Even though they were behind closed doors, Jesus does not force the locks or give an aggressive blow to the doors where the disciples were.”

 He comes in silently.  He filters Himself thru the walls.  They were full of fear, but were reunited remembering and recalling everything that had taken place.  It was such a shock to see the resurrected Jesus, that fear left them and the Church was created. 

Hence, the Church appears, therefore, with these elements:  - they were reunited, - they accepted the presence of the resurrected Jesus, -opening the doors of their souls, - overcoming fear, - receiving the Holy Spirit.  The Church is the homeland of the soul.  To be Church is to have the doors opened, be reunited without fear. 

Whoever wishes to live the Gospel from these premises, is the one who sees what the Holy Spirit is doing to him each day.  People who live full of fears and insecurities will be inefficient disciples because in them, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not present.  

Whoever lives cowardly, only cowardice will transmit to others.  Whoever thinks that faith is something so intimate that there is no need to share it, will find himself locked in his selfishness, alone and without the presence of the Holy Spirit. (Mario Santana Bueno)

Today,  the Feast of Pentecost, we have to ask ourselves about the process of maturity in our faith. ¿Thru all these years, have my heart been getting closer to the spiritual maturity that I have been called to have? ¿Which are the locks that are so hard to open in my life and why it is so? ¿Which are the fears I still have to overcome? ¿Do I accept the Holy Spirit in my life?

I pray that the Holy Spirit strengthens us with His light and purify us to be good Christians.   Come sweet guest of our souls and give us your peace and joy.  

Amen!!