Pentecost

 "When the day of Pentecost came, [the Apostles] were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. . . ." [Acts 2: 1-4].

Pentecost means "fiftieth day" and is celebrated the 50th day after Easter, and ten days after the Ascension of the Lord. It marks the time when the Apostles were endowed with the Holy Spirit. With this birth of the Holy Spirit in the Church, the Apostles could go forth and preach the Word, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus himself foretold the coming of the Holy Spirit in John 14: 14 -- "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will never leave you as orphans. I will come to you."

The Apostles were touched by tongues of flame but not consumed by the fire. This reminds me of the Burning Bush. This is the fire that enables them to speak God's Word across many lands.

Oh, Holy Spirit, the most elusive and mysterious element of the Holy Trinity!

What is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is like the old saying, 'I cannot define it, but I know it when I see it'!

It's when I have had someone on my mind, then the phone rings and it is that person on the other end of the line.

It's when someone dear to me is down and struggling with an awfully rough patch, and I don't have any idea what to say. Somehow the perfect words come to me. That is the Holy Spirit at work.

Often, when I do not evern know what to pray for, I ask the Holy Spirit for help. It feels like a whisper in my ear, a soft guidance towards the right path and against temptation, sin and death.

I was once out in the garden on a hot day, and after only 20 minutes of weeding, "Something" impelled me to quit and go into the house. Minutes later, there was a loud roar and an old ash tree fell to the ground right where I had been standing!  Shall I credit the Holy Spirit?

But the Holy Spirit does not merely guide us away from danger. It draws us towards the seven gifts of the Spirit:  Wisdom, Understanding, Right Judgment, Courage, Knowledge, Reverence, Wonder and Awe.

If we pursue these gifts, we receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit:  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Couldn't we all use a lot more of these in the world?

Dear Holy Spirit, I pray that I can "hear" your guidance, that I can listen to your soft voice and receive your Gifts!

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