Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. V: Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and they shall be created. R: And you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray:
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Theme: The Pentecost: “The Peak of God’s Revelation to Humanity”
A young boy once rode his bicycle to his village parish. As he reached the church and prepared to go in, he paused and asked the Priest, “Father, is it safe to leave my bicycle outside?” The Priest, smiling, reassured him, “Don’t worry, the Holy Spirit will watch over it.” The boy nodded. But when they began to pray, he surprised the priest by beginning his prayer: “In the name of the Father and of the Son. Amen.” The Priest gently corrected him: “Why did you omit the Holy Spirit?” The boy answered innocently, “Oh, don’t disturb the Holy Spirit He’s watching over my bike.”
The Priest chuckled, but then replied, “The Holy Spirit indeed has many roles but He remains part of the Holy Trinity.” Though humorous, this story invites us to ponder deeply on the identity and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the Church. Today, on the Solemnity of Pentecost, we reflect on this very truth: the descent of the Holy Spirit, His indwelling presence, and His empowering mission in the life of every Christian. Dear friends in Christ, welcome to today’s sacred celebration Pentecost Sunday.
On this day, we mark the fulfillment of the Father’s promise, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and the birth of the Church commissioned to evangelize the world In the Gospel of Luke 24:49, Jesus tells His disciples, “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” For nine days, the disciples waited in the upper room in prayer and expectation. And then, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended like tongues of fire upon them. This moment “Pentecost”is the Mount Everest of the New Testament.
It is the summit where the mysteries of the Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension find their full meaning. Without Pentecost, these mysteries remain profound yet incomplete; it is the Holy Spirit who makes them alive in us, who empowers the Church to proclaim the risen Christ to every nation. As Scott Hahn observes in his teaching, “The promise of the Holy Spirit becomes the completion of the revelation of the Godhead to humanity.” Jesus’ public ministry ends with His Ascension; the Church’s public ministry begins with Pentecost. This is not a mere sequence it is divine strategy.
Who Is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, eternally united with the Father and the Son. Theologians call this union Perichoresis a profound communion of love, will, and essence. While each Divine Person has distinct roles in the economy of salvation, they remain perfectly united in being. Jesus said in John 16:7, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.” Though the Holy Spirit was with Christ throughout His earthly ministry, it was only after the Ascension that He came to dwell in the hearts of the disciples, inaugurating the age of the Church. On Pentecost, as Acts 2:1–11 recounts, the Holy Spirit descended like fire and wind.
He brought with Him gifts of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, piety, fortitude and fear of the Lord. He made the disciples bold, united and broke language barriers, transforming frightened men into fearless Apostles. As Jesus foretold, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). Rob Corzine, reflecting with Scott Hahn on the connection between the Ascension and Pentecost, noted that although the apostles had seen the risen Lord, they were not yet ready to witness to Him.
They had information but lacked transformation. It was only through the Holy Spirit that they gained strength and courage to proclaim the Gospel to people of every nation and tongue. And so, Pentecost opens a new chapter: the Church becomes missionary, universal, and bold. The Spirit breaks down fear, language barriers, and divisions. He opens the hearts of men and women to receive the good news. In Romans 8:8–9, Paul reminds us, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” It is the Holy Spirit who makes this new life possible.
St. Irenaeus, in his treatise Against Heresies, writes: “And so the Spirit came down upon the Son of God, who became the Son of Man, and with Him became accustomed to dwell in the human race, abiding in God’s creation, within man, working the Father’s will among them and making their old nature new with the newness of Christ.” Dear people of God, the descent of the Holy Spirit is not just a historical event; it is a living reality. The Holy Spirit continues to descend into our lives, into the Church, and into the world—guiding us, teaching us, empowering us, and sanctifying us. All the mysteries of Christ—the Incarnation, Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension—reach their full expression in the outpouring of the Spirit. Without the Spirit, these events remain external.
With the Spirit, they become internal realities, transforming hearts and renewing the face of the earth. Thus, Pentecost is not the end of the story, it is the beginning of ours. As we gather to celebrate this great Solemnity, let us not merely recall the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles; let us open our hearts for Him to descend anew upon us. May He renew our faith, reignite our love, and rekindle our zeal for mission. Let this Pentecost be our personal and communal “upper room” a time to welcome the Spirit, to surrender in prayer, and to be empowered for witness. For the Spirit still comes like fire, still speaks in many tongues, and still gives life to dry bones May God bless his words in our hearts and make them bear rich fruits through Christ our Lord. Amen.
• Rev. Fr. Raphael Onah, Associate Parish Priest, The Catholic Church of the Presentation, G.R.A. Ikeja, Lagos.
