My Good Friends,
Today, we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost — often called the birthday of the Church. But make no mistake: this isn’t just a celebration of the past. It’s a reminder that the Holy Spirit is alive and moving today — in our parish community, in our homes, in our hearts.
There’s a story of a young man who grew up in church but never really believed. He went to Mass because his parents made him, and as soon as he turned 18, he stopped going. Years later, after a series of disappointments, he wandered into a church on Pentecost Sunday — out of guilt more than faith.
He sat in the back, arms crossed, heart closed. During the homily, the priest said something simple: “You don’t have to be perfect for God to fill you. You just have to be open.”
Those words pierced him. Something shifted — not dramatically, not like tongues of fire — but like a quiet wind brushing through his soul. He couldn’t explain it, but he cried that day for the first time in years. And that moment became the beginning of his return to faith. Sometimes the Holy Spirit doesn’t shout. He whispers. But when He does, lives change
That upper room moment wasn’t quiet or comfortable. It was wind and fire, languages and boldness. The Spirit didn’t come gently — the Spirit came to shake the world awake. And suddenly, a group of ordinary, hesitant disciples became courageous messengers with hearts ablaze.
Reflecting on Pentecost, we ask ourselves: Do I still burn like that? Or have I grown comfortable in my faith, content with routine but lacking that wild, Spirit-fueled passion? Pentecost is not just a one-time event — it’s an invitation to daily surrender. To open the doors we’ve locked. To let the Spirit rush in and disrupt the ordinary. It’s about more than speaking in tongues; it’s about living with the power of faith, love, and boldness in a world that desperately needs light.
The disciples were gathered in fear, hiding behind closed doors. Jesus had ascended. The world outside was hostile. They didn’t know what was next. We all have had moments like that — unsure, anxious, waiting for a sign from God. And then it happened. “Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind… and there appeared to them tongues as of fire… and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” A rushing wind. Fire from heaven. Languages no one had studied. Power they didn’t know they had. This was no gentle breeze. The Holy Spirit came to disrupt, to transform, to empower. And that same Spirit is still blowing today. The Holy Spirit isn’t always a comforting presence — It is also a force that pushes us out of our comfort zones, out of fear, out of spiritual laziness — and into the mission of love, truth, and bold witness. The early disciples didn’t stay in the upper room. Once the Spirit came, they moved outward — to preach, to serve, to suffer, and to love. Pentecost launched a movement that changed the world.
And that’s the challenge that remains with us today. Will we stay locked in our upper rooms of routine and fear? Or will we open our hearts to the Spirit and be set on fire? The key is to always to be open and aware of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must stay open. The Holy Spirit can’t fill a heart that’s closed. We must be willing to be surprised, challenged, even uncomfortable. That’s how transformation begins.
Amen.
Peace and all good,
Fr. Zack
