Whose spirit descends upon us?

We live in an age where our faith can be challenged by forces which seem to be out of control. We listen to so many opinions and believes that we can lose a sense of who we are called to be and what we are called to become. In such a climate we can easily be swept along by the latest opinion or be challenged by the latest revelation of how evil seems to beset our world. People can seem to provide solutions which will fix all our ills or keep us safe from the destructive forces which hide in the dark recesses of our world. There is a sense in which we can be confronted by a spirit of fear, anxiety and anger which reacts against others and which does not befriend us but rather oppresses us. There is a sense in which this malevolent spirit plays havoc with our lives by both causing us to believe that we should only act in our narrow self-interest and then accusing us of playing false to our upbringing when we do succumb to that way of thinking.

As we pray for the spirit of Pentecost, however, we are called to believe that God seeks to build a community of faith which sharply contrasts with this deceptive and destructive voice. It calls us to experience a life which will sustain us in the person of Christ in producing good fruits of charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity. This fruitfulness is found in the way we pray and the way we live. It calls us to become aware of how the Holy Spirit contrasts the forcefulness of a spirit which seeks only destruction, enmity and division. By seeking to call upon the Holy Spirit to descend we acknowledge our lives are called to be at one with God and at one with each other. This is recognised in much of the good work of the ecumenical movement which seeks reconciliation in Christ. 

By listening to what we have in common rather than what separates us we start to overcome the divisions which hold us apart. It also helps us to acknowledge that often we are engaged in a spiritual battle which can too easily create hostility and misunderstanding or even at times paper over differences with pious platitudes. We do no one any favours if we do not treasure our faith and listen to how Jesus is present in the way we live. Yet this way of being present which we all hold dear should allow us to be open to how another may hear the voice of Jesus spoken with a different tenure and tone. By allowing us to listen and appreciate this depth of divine praise spoken by many voices we come to experience the voice of Jesus who echoes over the centuries not in monochrome but in a rich splendour of colours which speaks of His Spirit resting upon us. Calling us to be fruitful in the way we live and preach the Gospel in our age.