MY daily reflection and prayer:
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Pentecost Sunday
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to St. John 14:15-16. 23b-26
Jesus Christ says, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
***
TODAY is the Pentecost Day. As proclaimed by St. Luke in the first reading (Acts 2:1-11), in the first Pentecost the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages of the mighty acts of God. It’s the day of the Holy Spirit was poured to the Apostle’s lives and the life of our Church was began.
While contemplating the first reading today, I remember the events surrounding the death of St. John Paul II in 2005. In my mind and heart, it’s an extraordinary few weeks that gives me a brief glimpse of this work being done by the Holy Spirit through the Catholic Church, this work of gradually uniting all of mankind.
At the time worldwide media gave around-the-clock coverage to viewers across the world, of every age and ethnic group. During the week before the funeral, two million pilgrims paid their last respects in person to the Pope as he lay in state. On the night before the funeral, more than 800,000 pilgrims spent the night praying and waiting in the streets and plazas of Rome. Most of them were young people who had come from all five continents.
I remember also, the funeral itself was followed closely by millions on television, radio and newspaper. The amount of world leaders came to be physically present there.
It was extraordinary. It included four queens, five kings, seventy prime ministers or heads of government, and more than 100 other recognized dignitaries. Dozens of Orthodox, Protestant, and Jewish leaders joined them. For me, it looked and sounded like the first Pentecost. Now it makes me proud of our identity as a Christian.
In the readings today, we’re reminded about our identity as well. We are a baptized Catholic Christian living in family with God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son of God in the Holy Spirit.
In the Holy Spirit we have our power source of life. He is the bond of love between God the Father and the Son of God.
In the Gospel today the Risen Jesus Christ promises the Holy Spirit, saying, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” By being given the Holy Spirit, they were recreated as new family.
Truly, the Holy Spirit gives us also new life now as new family. He presents within us as the source of our new life in Jesus Christ.
In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist, while worshipping Jesus Christ we thank to God for the whole series of events in our lives which present symbol of what God is doing, has been doing, and will continue to do through his Church until the end of time, making one family out of a divided world. It is the work of the Holy spirit.
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Renew our lives, and the lives of those we love now and forever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
