Acts 2.1-11;
Ps 103;
I Cor 12.3-7, 12-13;
John 20.19-23
The Solemnity of Pentecost marks the occasion when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection. During this event, people heard a mighty wind and saw tongues of fire, uniting everyone in praise. Since then, church life has been somewhat quieter, yet the Holy Spirit remains active, helping us declare ‘Jesus is Lord’ and guiding us in our spiritual journey. The Spirit empowers us to live out the virtues—faith, hope, charity, and the cardinal virtues—and sanctifies us through the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and the fear of the Lord. These gifts are given to those who are confirmed, and while they are always at work, sin can sometimes block their influence. True openness to the Spirit—crucial for Christian living—means humbly accepting divine guidance and allowing God’s will to shape us into Christ’s likeness. On Pentecost, we celebrate the Spirit’s powerful presence and invite its gentle nudges to help us follow Christ more closely.
The wind* blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”