After Easter, Pentecost is one of the most important feasts of the liturgical year. Pentecost is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to his disciples and to us that He will ask his Father to send “another Advocate to be with (us) always” (John 14:16). This Advocate, “will teach (us) everything” and remind us of all that Jesus told us throughout his ministry here on earth (14:26). Pentecost is the birthday of the Church but it is not a “once a year” event. It is a perpetual rebirth and renewal of God the Father’s creative energy working through us.
St. Paul tells us in today’s second reading from 1 Corinthians 12:7, “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” We all receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at our Baptism and we receive an extra boost of the Spirit at Confirmation. However, there is a catch attached to this gift. We are expected to use our God given gift to advance the Kingdom of Heaven in our parish, in our local community, in our state, our nation and in the world. St. Augustine said “Perhaps this double giving of the Holy Spirit was done in manifestation of the two commandments of love, that is, of neighbor and of God, in order that love might be shown to belong to the Holy Spirit."
Each one of us has spiritual gifts, given to us by the Holy Spirit. Our gifts are different. One person may have the gift of healing; another person may have the gift of music, someone else might have the gift of teaching. When these gifts are used as God intends us to use them, we each become an integral part of the Kingdom united by the Holy Spirit.
In every generation, O God of Easter glory,
you send forth your Spirit
to breathe upon the world and make it come alive!
Fulfill the promise of these Fifty Days
with the abundant harvest of your Spirit's gifts.
May we, the community of believers in Christ,
adorned with various ministries and gifts,
be continually formed into one body
by the one Spirit which has been poured out on all of us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who sends us the Spirit of truth from you,
and who lives and reigns with you,
God for ever and ever.
AMEN.
