PENTECOST SUNDAY (B) : 19th May 2024

The mighty rushing sound filled the room and the minds and hearts of those present. It took away their fear, gave them incredible courage and, above all, joy. People who had been hiding out of terror were now openly and fearlessly proclaiming the Risen Christ. Seekers of God will also recognize that such transformation comes from God. That the Spirit is still very much alive, if only we give it a chance. One of the infallible signs of the presence of the Spirit is unity, cooperation, and a union of minds and hearts. Competition, self-promotion, and selfishness are not signs of the Spirit, this we need to keep in mind. Hence, St Paul provided the discerning lines between lives guided by the Spirit and by raw selfish wants.

Jesus reassured His disciples that the Advocate would guide the assembled disciples and send them forth with the same mission that God had given Him – to reveal to the world the God whom the world had never known. On their own, this would have been impossible. They would be witnesses to the truth of Jesus’ teaching. The Spirit would quicken their souls, enlighten their minds, and speak through them the complete truth. For, the Advocate is not a concept, it is Christ Himself, in Spirit. We must have the Spirit living within us if we are to give life to others. It is our transformed life, inseparable from the truth of Christ.

Lord, pour forth Your Spirit into my heart.