Homily for Pentecost Sunday (Year C)
Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7. 12-13 John 20:19-23
Theme: Come Holy Spirit
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost. The feast of the Pentecost comes 50 days after Easter. Before Jesus ascended to his Father, he prepared the minds of his apostles by telling them that the Holy Spirit will be sent by the Father. That the Holy Spirit will come to remind them of all he had taught them. He also told them to remain in Jerusalem to continue to pray until the coming of the Holy Spirit. In view of that when the Holy Spirit came he remained with them like we see in today’s first reading because they were ready and prepared to receive him. In the same way too, so many of us have gone through the Pentecost novena in anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit. So like the apostles, we are ready and prepared to receive the Holy Spirit in a special way into our lives today.
The necessity of the Holy Spirit in our lives cannot be overemphasized. The Holy Spirit plays a great role in our lives that is why Jesus himself recommends the Holy Spirit to us. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in our lives. As such we are all in need of the Holy Spirit. Today the Holy Spirit we celebrate will distribute and confirm his gifts in all those who are positively disposed and prepared as the apostles were prepared. The question to each one of us would be, how well are we prepared for this great day, how well are we prepared for the coming of the Holy Spirit?
The coming of the Holy Spirit brings renewal and transformation in our lives. We need to approach today’s celebration with great faith. When the apostle’s received the resurrection Power of the Lord with great faith their lives did not remain the same. The same will be with us when we embrace the Holy Spirit with great faith.
Looking at the second reading from St Paul’s letter to the Romans we hear the importance of going beyond the flesh. And if we have prepared for today’s celebration as children of God then it means we have embraced the Holy Spirit. If we are the people of the Holy Spirit it therefore means that we have transcended the things of the flesh, and all restriction of the flesh.
On this day let us make sincere and honest effort to remain steadfast as people of the Spirit. For us as the people of the Spirit, it has to reflect in our daily lives and in how we treat people as human persons, and not as tools to be used. This is the sign of the Spirit in us. We must endeavour to ensure that the Spirit of God continues to guide all our actions. That way we can be rest assured that the Spirit of God will continue to guide and direct us.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, we are the people of the Spirit, we are the people of the Resurrection. By being true people of the Spirit we help to bring salvation to the world. We pray on this Pentecost that the Good Lord may give us the graces we need to abide with his Holy Spirit so that he will be our guide in all that we do.
Peace be with you!