Fr Antonio Pineda
n the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary as tongues of fire. The frightened apostles were transformed into fiery preachers and evangelisers and were given the gift of tongues by a special anointing of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the early Christians became powerful witnesses and brave martyrs for their Faith in Jesus.
And it was all because of the Holy Spirit! The first Christians allowed the Holy Spirit to transform them. Do we do the same or do we look for something else to give meaning to our lives? I’m reminded of a story I once heard.
More than a century ago, a great sailing ship was stranded off the coast of South America. Day after day the ship lay there in the still waters with not a hint of a breeze. The captain was desperate; the crew was dying of thirst. And then, on the far horizon, a steamship appeared, headed directly toward them.
As it drew near, the captain called out, “We need water! Give us water!” The steamship replied, “Lower your buckets where you are.” The captain was furious at this cavalier response but called out again, “Please, give us water.” But the steamer gave the same reply, “Lower your buckets where you are!” And with that, they steamed away!
The captain was beside himself with anger and despair, and he went below. But a little later, when no one was looking, he lowered a bucket into the sea and then tasted what he brought up: It was perfectly sweet, freshwater! For you see, the ship was just out of sight of the mouth of the Amazon. And for all those days they had been sitting right on top of all the freshwater they needed!
What we are really seeking is already inside us, waiting to be discovered, waiting to be embraced: the Holy Spirit of God Who has been living within us from the moment of our Baptism. The Holy Spirit is saying to us at this very moment from deep in our hearts, “Lower your buckets where you are. Taste and see!”