From pastor’s desk on the Pentecost Sunday 2021
The Pentecost Sunday closes the liturgical season of Easter. In this great feast, in the order of liturgical importance only second to the Easter Sunday, we learn that it is the Holy Spirit who brings about true and lasting fruits that are showered upon the Church and the world. For the Jews the Pentecost was the completion of the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, which was a celebration of the harvest that occurred seven weeks (fifty days) after the feast of Passover. Notwithstanding, it was not just about the harvest but also about spiritual gifts that the Chosen People had received from God and the harvest only represented it. For Jesus’ disciples the occurrence of the Pentecost was also the time of harvest. At that point, those fifty days after the Resurrection they knew that it was the Lord Jesus who made all things possible. All had come to completion in Jesus and His coming back from the dead was the first fruit of His sacrifice on the cross.
As the disciples were united in prayer with the Blessed Virgin Mary “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2:4). We can see in this scripture passage that on the day of the Pentecost the Lord’s promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled. The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples who finally produced the abundance of spiritual gifts. The Pentecost was also the birth of the Church,
The Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to become courageous and zealous in proclaiming the Gospel to the entire world. The Spirit also enables us all, who follow faithfully the way of Jesus Christ to become witnesses of God’s salvation – the true meaning of the name “Christian” is exactly to be a witness to Christ. By the descent of the Holy Spirit we are called to share our faith with others who are hungry for God and do not know Jesus Christ yet, or perhaps do not know Him enough. As the descent of the Holy Spirit made the disciples courageous in proclaiming the Good News of salvation, so the Holy Spirit makes us brave to face the hostility and difficulties in this world. If we are baptized and confirmed, it means that each and every one of us, without exception, has received this mission of telling the world about the Salvation in Christ.
However, in order to feel the power of the Holy Spirit and to “activate” the gifts of the Holy Spirit we need to meet two conditions. First, we must believe in Jesus Christ as our only Lord and Savior. We also must follow His way while imitating Jesus in His humility, obedience, and self-sacrificial love. Secondly, we must remain united in prayer with the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Church. For us today it means that our faith in Christ must be put first before everything else. We cannot live with the rules of this world, but rather we must engage in the prayer life of the Church. Moreover, we need to be in the state of grace (no mortal sin) so that that nothing can hinder the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that frequent confession and reception of the Eucharist should be our routine. As we perceive in ourselves numerous imperfections and sinful attachments, let us engage in more intense personal prayer and ongoing penance. Let us also pray for the spiritual renewal of the Church, through which will come about the true renewal of the world.
“Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse!”
Happy Feast of Pentecost! Fr. Janusz Mocarski, pastor