In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that when Paul visited a community of Christians in Ephesus, he asked them:
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They replied: “We were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:1-3).
So, as we see in the 2nd reading of today, Paul reminds the Christians of Rome of what is at the heart of our faith (Romans 8:8-17):
“The Spirit of God has made his home in you…
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a child of God.
The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again;
it is the spirit of children, and it makes us cry out ‘Abba, Father!’ ”
An amazing reality!
We are people ‘inhabited’ by God himself.
We are his own children, sharing in his nature.
We can truly call him in a familiar way: “Father!”.
Trust, confidence, absence of fear – this should be the ‘atmosphere’ of our Christian life.
Spontaneity, security, serenity – this is the normal ‘ambience’ of a life lived of faith.
This does not mean that no problem or difficulty will be part of our ‘landscape’.
But it means that Someone is with us with God’s power to enable us to overcome whatever comes our way.
Jesus himself has said so to the apostles:
“I am sending down to you what the Father has promised…
You will be clothed with the power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
Someone is with us… Someone to rely upon…
The Feast of Pentecost is meant to remind us of this.
Note: Another reflection, on a different theme, is available in French at: https://image-i-nations.com/fete-de-la-pentecote-annee-c-2022/