Today the Church celebrates the great solemnity of Pentecost. By sending the Holy Spirit upon those gathered in the cenacle Jesus fulfills his promise given to his disciples before his departure. In this way, the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, namely that of his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, is brought to completion. From now on, it is the Spirit who is going to continue the work of Jesus in the heart and lives of believers. Therefore, filled with the divine love the disciples start speaking different languages proclaiming the great works of God in their lives. While empowered with the diversity of gifts by the Spirit, at the same time he makes them perfectly one. Rejoicing at the gift of the Spirit, today we celebrate the beginnings of his Church—a miracle of God in our midst.
At times, when we think of role the Holy Spirit in our lives, what comes to our minds are different charismatic gifts: speaking in tongues, wisdom, prophecy, understanding, fortitude, joy, etc. Saint Paul gives us a whole list of those different spiritual gifts bestowed on us by the Spirit. But then he reminds us to strive for the greatest among them all: the gift of charity. All these different gifts are of little importance if that what is the most essential is missing: love.
In our fallen world with so many divisions, conflicts, violence and sin, the Holy Spirit comes to manifest his power by renewing constantly the face of the earth, as Psalm 104 proclaims. Not just in some theoretical way, but concretely in our heart and lives. He comes to heal, to clam, to enlighten, to guide our anxious hearts. But he does so with humility of someone who wants to offer us a gift but is not sure whether we will like and accept it. He is waiting for our decision to welcome him. And we know how much we need his assistance every day to carry out our Christian vocations according to God’s plan.
As it happened with the Twelve, so it does with us: the Spirit brings to us the gift of God’s love and forgiveness which makes us one with God and with each other. What is impossible for us due to our sinfulness, it is given to us for free—a gift of unity and communion. Not just once a year at Pentecost, but every time when we receive the sacraments of the Church. Therefore, there is no Christian life, there is no Christian marriage, there is no Christian family and community without the presence of the Holy Spirit. As it happened with the Blessed Mother when she experienced the power of the Spirit in her annunciation, responding with faith to the word of the angel, so in a similar way the Holy Spirit operates in our lives when we open ourselves to his presence. He comes so that we may bear abundant fruit of love that lasts forever.