Ignatian Reflections

5 June 2022 «

Written by Richard Nichols S.J. | Jun 5, 2022 4:00:00 AM

5 June 2022

Pentecost Sunday

The second person of the Holy Trinity ascended into heaven, then the third person of the Holy Trinity came to Earth.  The arrival of the third person is what we celebrate today with Pentecost.  The third person, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the followers of Jesus in order to draw them into the life of the Holy Trinity.  It was the very beginning of the Church, and what a beginning it was!  Those who had heard Jesus and followed his teaching received the same Holy Spirit that he had.  One moment, they were mere followers of a teacher.  The next moment, they were true Christians!

            To become a true Christian is not a matter of putting in 10,000 hours of practice.  It is a matter of receiving the Holy Spirit and being led by it.  What does the Spirit ask you to do?  What does love demand?  What does truth enjoin?  Those who follow the Holy Spirit are the best Christians, not those who spend long hours in Churches.  You may spend long hours making retreats in holy places, but if you are ignoring the Holy Spirit, or, God forbid, denying it, then you are failing.

            Do you want to be a successful Christian?  Don’t wait until you have invested 10,000 hours.  Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you right now, just as it once guided the Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs.  When the Holy Spirit fills you as it filled them, you begin to see “the mighty acts of God” (Acts 2:11).

  June 5th, 2022