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08 giu 2025

08/06/2025 - Pentecost Sunday - Year C

08/06/2025 - Pentecost Sunday - Year C

1st reading Acts 2,1-11 from Psalm 103 2nd reading Rom 8,8-17 Gospel Jn 14,15-16.23-26

The wait is over: we have prayed, sung and asked for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and today the Father is rewarding us. God’s Spirit comes down to give new life and light to men, those who have loved Jesus. They will be able to see the whole creation in a different light, as a bright environment, showing God’s glory.

The Pentecost of the Spirit has kindled in the apostles’ heart a burning desire to talk about Jesus, to make Him known to everyone. The same Spirit has shown first of all to them that Jesus not only is Master, but that He is their life, their biggest love, God’s gift needed for all humankind. They, moved by the Spirit, could not keep silent. Because of its presence in them, they became instrumental to God in continuing Jesus’ work, the transformation of the world from a place ruled by Satan, to a heavenly place, a garden of communion with the Father, a space where love triumphs.

The Holy Spirit came down surprising those who were listening to the apostles and bringing out in them a will to change life. It came down on the Samaritans reached by Phillip and even on the Pagans who, in Cornelius’ house, were opening their heart to the news brought them by Peter: and everyone praised God joyfully. That Holy Spirit still comes down on those who receive and welcome the news of the name of the Son of God. Just talk about Jesus, and here it is, joy and new life spread. We, used to convincing reasoning, are left speechless. Why it is enough to talk about Jesus, and everything is renewed? Talking about Jesus, letting people see the love for Him, is the secret to transform the world. If it isn’t changed, it will remain enemy of the very men it hosts, it will tear them apart and destroy them. Instead, when in the world echoes Jesus’ name, called out lovingly, the unexpected miracle happens: joy springs out.

The words announcing Jesys are understood by all tongues in the world. Saint Luke lists fifteen or so people there to listen the announcement of the death and resurrection of the Lord: everyone understood. It is the Holy Spirit which shows Jesus’ divinity and the Father’s love to all the peoples, all the religions, all the cultures. To nobody Jesus is a stranger, to nobody He is useless, to nobody He is harmful. When He is welcomed, the Holy Spirit changes the life, fills the heart, enriches the habits and the cultures with a wisdom of love which makes them even more beautiful and dignified.

The Holy Spirit generates first of all repentance in the hearts which hear Jesus’ name. The latter has suffered the passion and death, sufferings casted on Him because of the sin everyone is complicit in, everyone, not only the Christians! First of all, repentance. We recognise we need forgiveness, we are the ones who made Jesus suffer and have supported the work of the devil. This humility is a precious disposition so the Holy Spirit may continue to act, making us grow in the love to the Son of God.

The words of the Gospel too continue to show us how everything revolves around the love for the Messiah. When this love is live, the Father bends down on the creatures: “my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him”. They who love Jesus become temple of God’s presence, the place of His love. They who love Jesus, even without talking, shine light upon the falsehood opreciouhe other options regarded as and adored as gods. Those are smoke, because they don’t give joy nor love.

The feast of Pentecost, even if we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, cannot be separated from thankfulness to the Father and Jesus. In fact, it is the Father who sent us His Spirit, and He sent it because Jesus asked Him to. The latter cannot see realised His dream and the labour of His passion unless in us and in the world enters the Holy Spirit. When it comes, we can say Jesus is happy, because He can see our life fulfilled. In fact, like once the great Russian Saint Seraphim of Sarov said, the goal of the Christian life is to get the Holy Spirit, which then spreads from us transforming the world. In fact, we are not complete and mature adults unless in us acts the Spirit of God.

We need to continue to be united to Jesus, receiving and keeping His Word, which is the key He opens our heart with to the coming of the Advocate in us. In the Gospel today is told us that listening to the Word of Jesus is a must. The same Spirit is in charge of reminding us of it, of making us understand and love it.

The love of the Lord Jesus, love which comes to be effective by listening to Him, is needed. Without it the world will not be saved. I am asking myself why Jesus asked Peter only if he loved Him! He could have asked him if he had understood, or if he remembered, or if he loved his sheep. Nothing like that. The only thing needed is to love Jesus. In fact, they who love Jesus swim in God’s Spirit, and this Spirit is the love for the “sheep”, the memory of the words of wisdom, the understanding of Jesus’ teachings, indispensable to change the city of men into the city of the Father’s love!