PENTECOST

 

On Sunday last we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost.  The Lord, after His resurrection promised to send us a Helper, an Advocate who would help us to bear witness to the Truth.  The promised gift of the Spirit was pour out on the Church at Pentecost.

 

'Receive the Holy Spirit' the Lord tells the Apostles who were gathered in the Upper Room together with Our Lady.  The Spirit that he breathed on them was to strengthen them to go out and bear witness to Him in the world.

 

As followers of Christ, some two thousand years later we are called to do the same.  The same Spirit has been poured out on us.  Each and everyone of us to go forth from this celebration of Mass and bear witness to the Risen Lord.

 

We are called to set the world on fire, yet some of us probably don't have the inclination to even strike a match or search for a lighter. 

 

To go out and set the world on fire is a daunting task. We may be thinking that we are not qualified for such a task.  Let's leave that to Father.  He's spent years in training to do that sort of thing.  Let's leave it to the Legion of Mary - they do that sort of thing. Let's leave it to the Catenians they are good at that.  Let's leave it to the young people - the ones who go to Lourdes each year.  They have the energy for that sort of thing.

 

That is the danger.  We can leave it to someone else.  Anyone else but me!!!  But I am not qualified for such a task you may be thinking.  I wouldn't know what to do or say.  I haven't had any special training.

 

We don't need any qualifications or training.  The tools that we need to go out and set the world on fire have been given to us.  They come in the form of two sacraments: Baptism and Confirmation. These two Sacraments enable us to go out and bear witness to our Faith in Jesus Christ. 

 

The same Spirit that was pour out on the Church at the first Pentecost is the same Spirit that has been given to us.  We need not be afraid of what we are to do or say - the Spirit will be our strength and our guide.

 

Go make disciples of all the nations the Lord asks us.  That task is given to each and every one of us regardless of our age or circumstances.  We have the necessary gifts and talents to go and set the world on fire.  Let's do it!!!