Today’s great Feast of Pentecost is also known as the birthday of the Church. This is not because the Church came into existence on that day – the Apostles had already been chosen and Our Lord had already founded her on Peter the rock and had given Peter “the keys of the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 16:19 ). The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass had been instituted at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-29), and the hierarchical structure of the Church was in place, but it still lacked a soul. The Church at this stage was a lifeless body, rather like Adam before God breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7). And that is what the Church was waiting for in the Upper Room. For nine days, Our Lady and the Apostles prayed in silence for the coming of the Holy Spirit, (Acts 1:12-14), Who would become the life-giving principle – the very breath and soul of the Church, vivifying her, unifying her, and sending her out to sanctify the world.

Then “suddenly there came from Heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:2-4). The Church was finally ablaze and full of life. The Apostles were transformed. These frightened men became instantaneously courageous, and the Holy Spirit opened their minds to understand the fullness of the truth that Christ had come to reveal. They were infused with knowledge of divine things, and then went out to the ends of the earth and converted empires and nations. This is why the Church has always taught the Holy Spirit is the life of the Church.

On Friday evening, Bishop Patrick confirmed 16 members of our RCIA group, and this Sunday morning at the 11.15am Mass, the Bishop has given me the faculty to confirm those who were unable to be present on Friday. Please keep them in your prayers. Confirmation is, in a sense, the Pentecost of each Catholic. At Baptism, the soul receives supernatural life, but in Confirmation, the Holy Spirit strengthens the soul for spiritual battle. The Bishop marks the forehead of the person being confirmed with the sacred oil of Chrism, consecrating them as a soldier of JESUS Christ. This is not so well understood today. Very often, Confirmation has been reduced to a rite of passage – and in many instances, a rite of quiet exit from the life of the Church. But Confirmation should produce saints and defenders of the Faith. The Apostles left the Upper Room prepared to suffer and die for the truth, and so must we.

Our times desperately need courageous Christians, and yet we have become so timid. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are just as powerful today as they were at that first Pentecost. Can you remember what they are? Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. These are no mere theological terms: they are supernatural weapons. The tragedy of our times is that God continues to give grace, but souls have ceased to cooperate with it, and the gifts given lie dormant in the soul.

If the Church and the world are to emerge from the confusion of our times, it will happen for the same reason it happened two thousand years ago – souls being filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit. So on this great Feast, let us pray with urgency and confidence:

“Come Holy Spirit and breathe life into our weary souls. Purify Your Church. Restore zeal to Your priests, fidelity to families, innocence to children and courage to Your bishops. Make saints of us all! Come Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”

Fr Paul Gillham, IC