SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST: Main Theme: What Happens When We Receive the Holy Spirit? - The Holy Spirit makes us missionaries of peace.

With Cardinal John Anaiyekan of Abuja Archdiocese in front of St. Peter's Square, Rome.

I. The Sound and Fire of Unity

Subtheme: From Babel to Unity – Speaking One Language Again

“There came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind… and tongues as of fire came to rest on each of them.” – Acts 2:2-3

The confusion of Babel is reversed at Pentecost. People from different cultures understand each other because the Holy Spirit bridges the human divide. This unity that the Holy Spirit fosters is not just linguistic—it’s spiritual. It calls us to unity at all levels: in our parishes, families, and communities. Differences should build us up into stronger connections and not divide or tear us apart.

Real-life Application:

Can your family or workplace feel the “wind” of the Spirit through your words and actions?

II. The Spirit That Sends Us

Subtheme: Empowered for a Mission of Peace

“As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” – John 20:21

Jesus breathes the Spirit on the apostles with a commissioning. This breath is not for comfort or complacency but for movement. We are not to be frozen in fear like the apostles were in the upper room. Pentecost is our spiritual release. It is our commissioning moment.

Real-life Application: You are a missionary—yes, you. Not just the deacon, the priest, or the bishop. By baptism, each of us is sent to reconcile relationships, to heal broken hearts, and to bring peace in hostile spaces. Start with your home.

III. The Church of Many Gifts

Subtheme: Different Gifts, One Mission

“To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” – 1 Cor. 12:7

Peace isn’t built by uniformity but by cooperation. For instance, I come from a family of nine children. Each of us has different personalities and characters. But we are of the same biological parents. That is how the Church functions. Some teach, some serve, some heal, some encourage. Like Pope John Paul II said, all of us are builders of God’s cathedral of peace.

Real-life Application: What is your gift? Are you using it for the community or keeping it to yourself? The Spirit equips us not just for personal holiness but for communal transformation.

IV. Breaking Barriers in the Spirit

Subtheme: Peace Beyond Borders

“He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one.” – Eph. 2:14

Pentecost abolishes tribalism, racism, and classism. Pentecost brings all into the Christ category. It empowers us to love beyond comfort. The Holy Spirit breaks barriers.

Real-life Application: When you avoid someone because of their tribe, color, class, or language, you deny Pentecost. Are you willing to speak the language of peace even to your perceived “enemy”?

Pentecost Task

The mission of Pentecost is ongoing. It calls for practical actions that demonstrate our faith. This week, I challenge each of us to become a missionary of peace in one concrete way:

• Call someone you’re estranged from and speak a word of peace.

• Initiate reconciliation in a strained relationship -family, friend, or colleague.

• Invite someone who is struggling to pray with you.

• Volunteer in a ministry or group that fosters unity in the Church or community.

Pentecost is not a memory; it’s a movement.

Reflection Questions for the Week

1. What divisions—personal, communal, or cultural—do I need the Holy Spirit to help me heal?

2. Which spiritual gift has God given me, and how can I use it to build peace this week?

3. In what ways am I being sent today by Christ to carry out His mission of reconciliation and love?

   
   

Let us pray

Come, Holy Spirit. Fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send us out, O Lord, as bearers of peace, builders of bridges, and witnesses of your joy. Amen.

Readings: 1st- Acts 2:1-11; 2nd- 1Cor.12:3-7,12-13; Gospel- Jn.20:19-23