The Feast of Pentecost, Sunday 8th June.

On Pentecost Day, the Holy Spirit came to the apostles as a great wind and in tongues of fire. Wind is a symbol of power and fire is a symbol of love. Filled with power and love, the apostles began preaching the gospel.
   We can’t live the life of a Christian without the help of the Holy Spirit — even Jesus needed the Spirit.
  The Holy Spirit had a major role to play in his life and at his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of the dove, revealing him as the father‘s beloved Son, and empowering him for the mission he was about to begin. He began that ministry by making his own the lovely words of Isaiah,”the spirit of the Lord has been given to me for he is anointed me, he has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free to proclaim the year of the Lord‘s favour.” 
   What a beautiful mission and how faithful he was to it. The Spirit was not just given for a moment the Spirit remained with Jesus throughout his life he was continually strengthen and guided by the Spirit.He was filled with the spirit and power went out from him through his gracious words and compassionate deeds. When Jesus was raised up to glory at the right hand of the Father he poured out the Spirit on those who were to carry on his mission, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles individually and collectively. Filled with the Holy Spirit they began the mission he had given them to preach the gospel to the whole world. 
    The action of the Spirit  is mysterious but it is not magic. What the Holy Spirit did for the apostles was to give them the courage so that they were able to overcome their fear, from being a group of people gathered together in fear, they became a people with a mission and a message for the world, the good news of Jesus Christ. The miracle of human change is the only real miracle. 
    The same Spirit was given to us in our baptism and confirmation the Spirit was not given for a moment, the Spirit accompanies us on our journey, in the footsteps of Jesus. The Spirit gives us the power to participate in the work of Jesus The power that changed the apostles is available to us too.  The gentle power of the Holy Spirit awakens us to the mysterious power within us binds us and helps us to grow. The Spirit that we have been given is not a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of boldness and power. The Holy Spirit helps us to realise the gifts we have within us, so that like the apostles we may become witnesses for Christ, through our own kind words and compassionate deeds.

Happy Pentecost !