Fr Marco Lazzaron
entecost is the fulfillment of the Lord’s Passover. The Holy Spirit is poured out upon the Church, upon the disciples gathered together in prayer, and takes up permanent residence in the hearts of believers, and so in all of us. Jesus speaks of “another” Paraclete: the first is Himself, “the other” is the person of the Holy Spirit: He “comes near to us” (indeed, from the day of baptism He is in us!), and consoles us, supports us, suggests how to face situations according to the word of Christ; he defends us from the accusations of the evil one, making us strong against temptation and capable of loving.
First of all, the Holy Spirit “stays with us”. He helps us to face and overcome the loneliness that we can experience in the world when we find ourselves “rowing against the current”. The Holy Spirit supports us, he is at our side like a defense attorney, helping us to respond to reality according to the heart of God, giving us the strength to bear the weight of the truth, to make evangelical choices even when this involves misunderstanding and persecution. Here by extension, we could also include the loneliness that one might experience in isolation, in illness, in old age, etc. The Holy Spirit consoles, sustains, so that discouragement and resignation do not take over.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit instructs us. He is like an interior teacher who helps us understand and internalize the words of Jesus. This happens both at the ecclesial and personal levels: at the ecclesial level, it is the Holy Spirit who helps the Church to understand the words of Jesus better and better, updating them so that they are light and guidance even in the face of new challenges. At the personal level, it is the Holy Spirit who helps us remember the words of Jesus so that they are a lamp to our steps when we face the choices of every day. It is He who inspires us when we speak of Jesus to others.
Pentecost is also the fulfillment of the Christian vocation, of discipleship. The Spirit will teach and remind, like a master to a disciple, so that Christ may be in the disciple, may become an interior and intimate presence. The fulfillment of the Christian vocation is that the life of Christ lives in us. And the vocation, the essence of Christian life under the guidance of the Spirit, is the interior life as the ability to let the word of the Lord dwell within oneself, to meditate on it, understand it, and interpret it.
We want to conclude by praying with the beautiful Sequence to the Holy Spirit, dating back to the 13th century, asking for the grace to become ever more familiar and docile with Him who is more intimate to us than we are to ourselves. Happy Pentecost!
Holy Spirit, Lord of Light,
From the clear celestial height
Thy pure beaming radiance give.
Come, thou Father of the poor,
Come with treasures which endure
Come, thou light of all that live!
Thou, of all consolers best,
Thou, the soul’s delightful guest,
Dost refreshing peace bestow
Thou in toil art comfort sweet
Pleasant coolness in the heat
Solace in the midst of woe.
Light immortal, light divine,
Visit thou these hearts of thine,
And our inmost being fill:
If thou take thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay
All his good is turned to ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew
On our dryness pour thy dew
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will
Melt the frozen, warm the chill
Guide the steps that go astray.
Thou, on us who evermore
Thee confess and thee adore,
With thy sevenfold gifts descend:
Give us comfort when we die
Give us life with thee on high
Give us joys that never end.