SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST B
THE SILENT GIFT
If you remember, on Good Friday, we celebrated the fact that God loves the world so much, he gave us his only Son. Well, today, we celebrate the fact that God loves the world so much, he sends us the Holy Spirit. In fact, on the cross, Jesus already gave the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the blood and water that flowed from his wounded side. So God’s gift is complete – both body and spirit!
The Holy Spirit is simply, the best gift of the Father and of Jesus to us and to the whole world. Each time we receive a gift, it is always a joyful surprise. We rejoice at the gift, we cherish the gift, we treasure the gift.
But how true is this about the Holy Spirit? Are we aware of how great a gift he is to us? We were taught that in baptism and confirmation, the Holy Spirit was bestowed on us. So the truth is, the Holy Spirit is with us everyday. As Catholics though, we have to admit this, we are poor in recognizing the Spirit’s presence both in prayer or in actions of daily life.
We call on Jesus; we seek his help every time but we don’t often speak to the Holy Spirit or acknowledge his presence. However this should not make us feel guilty at all. That is the way of the Holy Spirit, too. He leads us to the Father and to Jesus, but he does not point to himself. The fact is, when we feel close to the Father, the Holy Spirit is happy. When we draw close to the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit is satisfied. Why? Because it is he who make it all possible.
This feast however, reminds us, that we need to be aware, to acknowledge and to form a relationship with the Holy Spirit too. We need this consciousness that there is a Gift that we possess in our hearts. Pray to the Holy Spirit today and ask that he becomes your daily companion in all the things that you think, do and say. Even more important, pray to him to become the Guide who will lead you closer to the Father and to Jesus, and to the people around you each day. Come, Holy Spirit!
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