The Spirit is like the air we breathe, the light that goes on when we have an idea, the fire that burns in our heart.

Fr. Oscar Mendez, OFM

Pentecost is one of the three most important feasts of the Church year. We celebrate Christmas and Easter (resurrection), but the third one: Pentecost, the birth of the Church, a lot of people take it like another ordinary Sunday. Pentecost feast has been celebrated by God’s church even before we, Christians began to celebrate it. It was originally a harvest feast on which the first fruits were offered in gratitude to God. Later, it came to be celebrated as the anniversary of the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. For us it is the day on which God sent his Holy Spirit upon the Church.

The Spirit is like the air we breathe, the light that goes on when we have an idea, the fire that burns in our heart. In the first reading the Spirit is a strong driving wind, whereas, in John’s Gospel, the Spirit is the gentle breath of Jesus who breathes on his apostles and says “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In either case, the Spirit is like the invisible air we cannot live without. The Spirit also appeared to the apostles as tongues of fire, a fire that started burning in them to proclaim Christ with courage and conviction. God wants us to know him and love him and the Spirit helps us to do that. We need the presence of the Holy Spirit in order to know and experience God. The Spirit makes the scripture alive for us and helps us to be aware of God’s presence with us and God’s love for us. St. Paul mentions in his letter to the Galatians: “if we live by the Spirit, the Spirit will produce in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.” It depends on us to be humble enough and ask God to give us His Spirit, so we can be great Christians and bear so much fruit in our lives.

Blessings,

Fr. Oscar Mendez, OFM

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