Pentecost Message from Bishop Solis

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Pentecost stained glass window in the Cathedral of the Madeleine

The Church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost this Sunday, the culmination of the Easter season and the fulfilment of God’s promise of salvation. We recall the event which occurred in Jerusalem, where the Apostles were gathered together and were filled with the Holy Spirit which Jesus had promised to send them.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit changed their lives completely. They came out filled with the transforming power of God’s grace, professing their faith in the Risen Lord and preaching the Good News of salvation to all people with great conviction that led to the conversion of many, even in the midst of persecution and death.

The Holy Spirit inspired the followers of Jesus, who gained a sense of faith community. The Spirit gave them the insight and direction to follow the path that lay ahead of them, and the courage to preach Jesus in words and deeds. It was then the Church was born. They shared a common faith, purpose and mission, and held each other in fellowship and prayer. Preaching the Gospel to all the world by the witness of their lives was not easy. They faced every challenge and difficulty including imprisonment, shipwrecks, beatings and persecutions. But they were all in it together with their faith in God. 

The life and mission of the first Christians give us a sense of hope, a source of comfort and inspiration for our own days. We are living in a time that is analogous to those early days of the Church. We are experiencing strong religious persecution from the secular culture, and freedom of worship is attacked by a godless society. There is also polarization in our nation, society and even among faith communities.

The Feast of Pentecost is the manifestation of the fulfilment of God’s promise of his abiding presence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the world. This is significant for us who not only endured tremendous suffering from the coronavirus pandemic but for many people who have lost their faith and hope in God and the goodness of humanity. More importantly, the Holy Spirit is essential in our continued pursuit of spiritual renewal so we can become faithful believers and missionary disciples of Christ, ready to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples.

Pentecost brings the wonderful blessings of God and his abiding presence in our lives individually and communally. We have the chance not only to remember it, but to celebrate its impact in our life – the birth of a new Church, of new believers and ardent disciples of Christ. So, let us open our hearts to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and fill our hearts to inspire, empower and enable us to renew our faith, the world, and the face of the earth.