The Celebration of Pentecost

Violent wind, tongues of fire, flaming red, the white Dove of the Holy Spirit, multiple languages communicated and understood, joy, excitement and ebullient enthusiasm! Can it get any better?! Thus is the celebration of Pentecost—the birthday of the Church!

Fearful, afraid and worried about the future—the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Disciples gathered huddled together only to be liberated fully by the power of the Holy Spirit: "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)

We have so much to celebrate and for which to be joyful! The Church, since the time of Jesus, has liberated many to the truth of God's love through ordinary gestures, places, occasions and people through their stories. We have the power within us to change the world, person by person, bringing light to the darkness and wisdom to ignorance. Being fearless and leaping into the situations of people's lives is the vocational call of Christianity. By God's Holy Spirit we are empowered to not stand still and watch, but to take an active role in the joys, sorrows, trials, tribulations and challenges of our planet and all of her inhabitants. The Church needs each of us to spread the Gospel message without fear or hesitation and Pentecost reminds us each year of our joyful duty!

Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with the power of Your love that we might always be faithful to the spreading of the Gospel to each person we encounter in small and mighty ways. Amen.





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