‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem, but… to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1: 8)
My dear friends, today, the Church celebrates the solemnity of Pentecost. It is a prestigious feast that commemorates the official birthday of the Church. It is a day when the Easter celebration reaches its perfect climax with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and those gathered with them in prayer in the Upper Room. They were filled with extra power, courage, new zeal and enthusiasm to proclaim boldly the good news with the splendor of God.
Fire and Wind
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the experience of the Apostles and how suddenly a sound from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind filled the house where they were. There appeared tongues of fire on each one of them. The Holy Spirit descended upon them in the form of the wind and fire which are symbols of power of God. The wind has the power to move and to uproot while the fire has the power to refine and transform. Both symbolize the presence of God in action. No wonder Jesus says: ‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). The power of the Holy Spirit was absolutely incredible on them that they acquired an internal energy, momentum, and the love and passion of getting on with the task of Christ in making disciples to the ends of the earth.
Holy Spirit Break Barriers
At the moment of that miraculous manifestation, the Apostles were supernaturally empowered to speak with authority to the amazement and understanding of the diverse crowd that gathered at the scene. And the fact that the crowd, representing many nations and languages, could understand each other served as a reversal of what happened at the Tower of Babel in Genesis Chapter 11. At that time, due to sin, people were separated by various languages but at Pentecost, due to grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, people separated by language, ethnicity and nationality were brought together. The influence of the Holy Spirit went across societal, ethnic, and linguistic barriers. That was one of the powerful and remarkable influence of the Holy Spirit at that time. And that is what still happens in the Church today where we all gather as one family and speak the same language by professing the same faith, despite our many differences.
Holy Spirit Working for the Common Good
On that faithful Pentecost day, the disciples who had received the Holy Spirit spoke with one voice, were one in heart and mind, and worked for the common good of all peoples. They spoke the language of the Spirit. As Fr. Isidore Igwegbe suggests, it is the language of love and not of hate, of unity and not of division, of peace and not of war. It is the language of reconciliation and not of conflict, co-operation and not of competition, forgiveness not of vengeance. The Holy Spirit’s language is also of hope and not of despair, tolerance and not of bigotry and friendship and not of hostility. It is the language that gives evidence to the fruits of the Holy Spirit which St Paul speaks of in the second reading today.
Bearing Witness
The promise of Jesus having been fulfilled with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the early disciples worked tirelessly in bearing witness. They spread the gospel across the globe from one generation to another. We too have received the Spirit and it is now our turn and time to bear witness. As such, we must strive to use the gifts we have received in making Christ known everywhere, beginning with ourselves, in renewing of our lives and commitment and in transforming our faces first, those of others and the face of the earth. May the Holy Spirit enkindle our hearts once more with the fire of his love – Amen.
