“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)

Today we celebrate Pentecost, which in ancient Greek means "the fiftieth day,” which remembers God’s covenant with Noah that takes place 50 days after the great deluge, and with Moses, the giving of God’s Law on Mount Sinai in terrifying wind and fire, which occurs 50 days after the beginning of the Exodus from Egypt.

Later in Christianity, Pentecost commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples whom start to share the Good News of the Lord. Thus, Pentecost is also known as the "Birthday of the Church." It is an event of both the past and the present, because the gift of the Holy Spirit is something to be shared with others continually even today. The feast of Pentecost marks the end and the goal of the Easter season.

Pentecost calls us to the realization that the center of reality, the innermost heart of all infinity, the love of the all-holy God has become our center and heart. God is ours. God has been given to us as gift, without reserve. God has made our own the joy, freedom, knowledge and peace of the divine life.

God’s gift is the Holy Spirit. The experience of this gift is fire (i.e. in our hearts and belly), wind and breath so powerful as to infuse its recipients with new life. We know this gift is ours, but we have yet to fully discover it, harness it and become active participants in the process of human redemption and transformation, exorcizing and expelling all contrary to God’s spirits from our lives, so that the power of the Holy Spirit can truly take hold in us.

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topic invites us to repent our sins, reflect on our vocation of dynamic Christian discipleship to live a holy life to fulfill God’s will and obtain our salvation.

Howe can we let the Holy Spirit in Pentecost transform us from fear to boldness, insecurity to confidence, hopeless to purposeful determination and mission?

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.