John 14:8-17, (25-27)

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.

12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

15 ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

25 ”I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

"Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth,” Psalm 104:30

On this Pentecost Sunday, we are invited to reflect on these fundamental elements of our Christian faith and identity:

I believe in the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One true God;
I believe that the Holy Spirit continues through his invisible Presence today, God's plan of salvation for humankind;
I believe that I have been granted the gift of the Holy Spirit through my Baptism;
I believe that at Pentecost, the Church was born to proclaim God's Presence, Love, Justice and Peace to renew the face of the earth; and
I believe that as Church members, we are the body of Christ and should be like the day of the first Pentecost, animated and moved by a purifying fire and a healing wind which springs from the Holy Spirit.

This metaphoric image of fire and wind may revive in us:

Fire as a symbol of life and activity, used to melt and pour metals to rejuvenate their face; and

Wind as a symbol of the invisible power of an immaterial nature, to spread recovery and restoration!

This is what we are called to be and to realize, through the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit as revealed in Isaiah 11:2-4a

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

May we remember day and night what St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians in 4:30, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:11

Let us pray for the Church all over the world to be fire and wind today!