In the power of the Holy Spirit

Power – this is what we pursue so doggedly. We grab at every instance of power. For that we are willing to pay any price, even our own integrity. "I am in charge," or "Why was I not consulted?" or "I would like to have the last say on that", or election wise, "No one wins over me honest-to-goodness." Instances of power. But strangely enough the greatest empowerment is in a man who readily accepts his powerlessness in all humanity and becomes dependent on power from on high.

How innocently naïve were the apostles, unschooled as they were, the day Jesus called them to follow him. But the great act was their faithful following of the Lord even if they had only the love in their hearts to offer, and even if they had not fully grasped what they were following. In their simplicity, they understood the Kingdom the Master preached as an earthly kingdom. The mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John) even had the guts to ask the Lord to have one of them sitting at His right and the other sitting at his left on thrones. But Jesus had answered, "You do not know what you ask," and implied they will have to suffer. When the time came, the apostles were puzzled not knowing what to make out of Jesus’ Passion and Death. The question marks were on their faces even after Jesus’ Resurrection. "Lord, are you going to restore the rule to Israel now?" And Jesus’ answer was still a riddle: "The exact time is not yours to know. The Father has reserved that to Himself." Finally, Jesus made the promise: "You will receive the power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you: Then you are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:6-8)

"Thus it is written that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. In His name, penance for the remission of sins is to be preached to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of this. See, I send down upon you the promise of My Father. Remain here in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:46-49)

Thus, today’s glorious feast of Pentecost is set not as an independent feast but rather the seal and finale to Easter. Today, the birthday of the Church, we must be convinced that it is the spirit who is the very soul of the Church of which we form one mystical body; that our empowerment as children of God is through the Spirit; that we can act virtuously because it is the Spirit who preserves divine life in our souls, the Spirit who gives power to forgive sins, the Spirit who inspires God’s Word in the preacher, the Spirit who perfects us in love; and that without the Holy Spirit we are not capable of doing any good.

In every celebration of the new Pentecost in our lives, it is not then the wonders, the gift of tongues, the visions which count first thing. What counts is that in our lives we celebrate Pentecost properly and becomingly, by believing and living in faith the greater miracle of grace which empowers us to love perfectly the way God wants us to love. So we pray without ceasing: "Jesus, send down your Spirit. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, empower us with the fire of Your divine love."

Pentecost Sunday Gospel Jn 20:19-23.