23 May 2021
Pentecost Sunday
Paul says something very startling to the Corinthians: “No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3). To actively welcome Jesus into our hearts as Lord is a very difficult thing. It requires we shed our egos and our autonomy, and live for Him. We would never do this on our own, not without an experience of divine love—the Holy Spirit. Any time that I confess Jesus is Lord, it is concrete evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in my life.
Do you doubt that the Holy Spirit is alive within you? Any action that honors Jesus as Lord is the work of the Spirit. Ask how often you honor Jesus’ lordship by keeping His commandments. Ask how often you go to Mass and pray. Ask how often you repair your broken relationship with Jesus by going to confession. For every moment in your life where you remember doing these things, you have experienced firsthand the Holy Spirit at work in your heart.
Seeing how much we owe to the Holy Spirit allows us to truly cherish Pentecost. Without this day, we could not live Christian lives. We could not feel the burning in our hearts that drives us to give our lives to Jesus. Pentecost is called the beginning and birthday of the Church, and with good reason. Remember that it is also what makes possible your relationship with Jesus, and your membership in the Church, and cherish anew God’s gift of the Holy Spirit.