Msgr. Mario Alberto Molina, O.A.R., Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Los Altos, Quetzaltenango – Totonicapán, offers us a luminous reflection on this Pentecost Sunday. He reminds us that the Holy Spirit is the link between Christ’s resurrection and our salvation today, constituting us into the Church and making us children of God.
Pentecost: summit of the Easter season
The Solemnity of Pentecost marks the end and the summit of the Easter Season. Jesus fulfills his promise: he prays to the Father to send the Holy Spirit, who remains with us and communicates the fruits of his death and resurrection.
The big question is: how do the benefits of the cross and resurrection of Christ reach us today? The answer is clear: through the action of the Holy SpiritThe answer is clear: through the action of the Holy Spirit, who transmits forgiveness of sins and eternal life, gathering us into the Church through faith and the sacraments.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is God acting in us.
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We know the Father as the creator God invoked by Jesus.
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We know the Son as God made man, who lived, died and rose again for us.
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We know the Holy Spirit as God in us, who divinizes us from within, making us children of God, members of the Church and heirs of eternal life.
The Spirit that acted in Jesus from his incarnation to his resurrection is the same Spirit that, sent by the Father and the glorified Son, dwells in our hearts.
The Church, first fruit of Pentecost
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as the other Paraclete. According to the Gospel of John, he breathed on the disciples to give them the ability to forgive sins and send them out into the world. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost upon the disciples and the Virgin Mary, constituting them into the Church. Church.
The Church is, therefore, the fruit of the Spirit. It is not a human creation, but a gift of God that brings together believers of all peoples, languages and cultures.
The Gospel for all peoples
Pentecost was a pilgrimage feast to Jerusalem, and on that day there were men and women from various nations. All heard of the wonders of God in their own language. The Spirit anticipated that the Gospel would be proclaimed in all languages and cultures. The Church is universal by nature: catholic in its mission and vocation.
Transformed into children of God
The second great fruit of the Spirit is the transformation of believers into adopted children of God. adopted children of God.
Through faith and the sacraments, the Spirit dwells in us, encourages us to live according to the Gospel and guarantees us the inheritance of eternal life.
As St. Paul says:
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
Living as children of God: testimony and hope
The Spirit not only transforms us interiorly, but also drives our witness in the world. He encourages us to live a righteous life, far from selfishness and disorder, in order to live in holiness, as true children of the Father.
Pentecost is, therefore, a feast of salvation, hope and mission, a feast of salvation, hope and mission. Let us live joyfully and faithfully our condition as God’s adopted children until we enjoy Him forever.