Fifty days have passed, when we celebrated that Jesus had overcome death; that death has no place in Him, nor in those of us who call ourselves Christians. With that we declare that Life is the one with the last word. And this past Sunday, Jesus ascended to heaven, to join with the Father, to prepare a place for us. He does not leave us orphans, and he does care about us. Today he keeps his promise and the Spirit comes to us.
The same Spirit that encouraged Jesus, who came down upon Him when He was baptized is with us today. We receive this Spirit in all the sacraments. It is the spirit that gathers us, gives us strength, and unites us to the Father through the Son. Let us welcome this solemnity with full confidence and feel that transformative force through the Gifts of God.
The reading of the Acts of the Apostles tells us of the arrival of the Holy Spirit. One of the main characteristics of the early Church is that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The church sets us in motion and unites us despite the differences. We are not alone. The Spirit lives and acts in every man and woman. He impels us to bring the gospel to all parts of the world.
The second reading of the Corinthians tells us about the different charisms and gifts of the Holy Spirit. We have a great responsibility to transmit the gospel. We are all important, there is none better than any. We all form one body, and that body is that of Christ. Pentecost must be a clear example of life. We are sons and daughters of God. He sends his Son and sends us a force that unites us. If Christ unites us, who are we to separate it? or say this is more important than the other?
In the Gospel of John, we are shown how the disciples were locked up out of fear. This is what happens to us many times. We lock up our "being a Christian" out of fear, cowardice, shame, or what others can say about us. But Jesus presents himself in the midst of the disciples and the first thing He does is to give them his Holy Spirit for a mission.
This must help us to be brave and to get out of our own cowardice and insecurities. From that moment, Jesus invites us to live free and to generate freedom to others. There is no place to condemn or judge anymore. Now it is our turn to give a word of encouragement and show the world that Christ is alive and that his Spirit is in us.
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