Christ the Cornerstone

The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the fire of God’s love

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2:1-4)

This Sunday, May 24, we celebrate the day that Christ, risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, fulfilled his promise to send the Holy Spirit to fill the hearts of those who believe in him with the fire of God’s love.

Pentecost Sunday is rightly considered to be the Church’s birthday. It is the day when the cowardly, confused and inept disciples of Jesus were born again. Pentecost Sunday commemorates the birth of a movement that has transformed the world from slavery to sin and death to new life and freedom in Christ.

When our risen Lord ascended into heaven, he explained that his absence was necessary. Unless he returned to his Father, he would not be able to send the Holy Spirit to teach us, to advocate for us, and to empower us with the gifts of God’s grace.

Without the action of the Holy Spirit, we would not be able to carry out the mission entrusted to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By ourselves, there is no way that we would have the courage, the perseverance, or the strength necessary to proclaim the Gospel in our words and actions to the whole world. In short, without the Holy Spirit, there would be no Church.

Who is this Holy Spirit? How can we describe someone who is invisible to us? How can we prepare ourselves for his coming into our lives—especially when we are told that he will change us radically, making us new women and men who think, feel and act very differently than before his coming into our hearts?

The Church teaches that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. As a co-equal partner with the Father and the Son, the Spirit plays a vital role both in the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ and in the ongoing mission of the Church. Scripture presents the Holy Spirit as the presence of God actively working in the world and in believers.

It’s true that we cannot see the Holy Spirit, but we can certainly observe the effects of his presence in our hearts and in the world.

The Acts of the Apostles portrays vividly the changes wrought by the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus’ followers. And the 2,000-year history of the Church chronicles the transformative power of the Spirit as he works with individuals and communities opening our hearts and empowering us to do extraordinary things in Jesus’ name.

Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit to his Apostles after his resurrection and ascension was a pivotal moment that launched the Church’s mission in the world. This gift, described in both John 20:22 (where the risen Jesus breathes on the Apostles) and Acts 2:1-4 (Pentecost, when the Spirit is manifested in tongues of fire), empowered the Apostles with both charismatic gifts (miracles, healing, prophecy, tongues) and evangelical gifts (guidance, inspiration, protection) necessary for leadership, preaching and governance of the Church.

We who seek to follow Jesus as his missionary disciples are privileged to receive these same gifts of the Holy Spirit sacramentally (especially at Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders). We, too, can be transformed from frightened, half-hearted witnesses to bold and courageous Spirit-filled evangelizers who live what we proclaim and who are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of the Gospel.

On Pentecost Sunday, we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, the dynamic divine Person who proceeds from the Father and the Son and who is sent by the risen Christ to empower the Apostles and all of us who are the Church.

The Holy Spirit is the power of God manifested in our world through miracles, guidance, inspiration, sanctification and the continual presence of God dwelling in our hearts. Although he is not accessible to us through our senses, we can experience his presence in the changes that take place in our minds, hearts and actions when we become receptive to his many gifts.

Come, Holy Spirit. Fill our minds with your wisdom, our hearts with your compassion, and our actions with your courageous witness to the truth. A blessed Pentecost Sunday to all! †