In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you,’ and, after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.’

(John 20:19-23)

Reflection

At Pentecost we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to the first group of Christian believers - the disciples. This gift of the Holy Spirit is the culmination of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

It would be wrong to think that this gift happened only once, in one moment of history. In fact, the gifting of the Holy Spirit is a continuing event in the life of every believing person and, therefore, in every age of human history. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God with us - the enduring way in which Jesus remains present in the Church and in the life of each person.

Today we do not pray to receive the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us has been affirmed and proclaimed in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Instead, we pray to grow more aware of the Spirit’s presence in our lives and to allow that Spirit to grow within us, gradually re-shaping our minds and hearts in the image of Jesus.

Pentecost brings to a close the fifty days of the Church’s Easter celebrations. Soon we will begin Ordinary Time again. So, our feast today helps us understand that we take the Holy Spirit with us into the ordinary events and tasks of each day. That is how we allow the sacred to touch, heal and transform us and the world around us.

The spiritual search is for the heart of God within our own. When we enter into relationship with Christ through the Spirit, the gifts begin to flow more abundantly. The Spirit is the source of reconciliation with ourselves and with each other. Reconciliation is essential if we are to ‘hold and guard’ each other in the midst of all that life throws at us, especially at the moment.

The Spirit brings gifts of wisdom, courage, understanding, right judgement, knowledge, reverence, wonder and awe in God’s presence. May we be graced by them all as we discern and decide how we can best work together to build up each other and to let God’s love be seen at work in each of us.

A Pentecost Commitment

Empowered by the Holy Spirit of God,
we commit ourselves to take up more fully
the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ
entrusted to us at baptism.

We reject everything to do with self-indulgence and narrow self-interest.

We commit ourselves to the destruction of poverty, injustice, fear, suffering and isolation.

We commit ourselves to witness Christ
in every moment and every aspect of our lives by living in hope, trust, confidence, gentleness and self-control.

This way the Spirit will be our life,
and we will fulfil our mission of service
in our world.

Filled with the Holy Spirit we will grow in love for each other, in wisdom, courage, knowledge, perseverance, understanding, perception and in wonder at God’s presence and action in the world.

May God, who has begun this good work in us, bring it to fulfilment through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

You can download and print our prayers and reflection for this Sunday.

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