May 28, 2023
Solemnity for Pentecost Sunday (Year A)
And suddenly, one sound come from sky like strong wind wey dey blow with force, and e fill di whole house where dem dey. Then tongues wey be like fire appear to dem; di tongues divide and settle on each one of dem. And di Holy Spirit fill all of dem, and dem begin speak different languages, as di Spirit give dem power to proclaim. Acts 2:2–4
Na so dem take born the Church. Today we dey celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost wey, for many ways, bring the mission of Christ reach completion. The highest point of His mission go come for the end of time, when He go return with all His glory to judge people wey dey alive and people wey don die, and to establish His Kingdom wey go last forever. But for now, we dey live under the rule of the Holy Spirit, Who don come down upon us fully, dey transform us and make am possible for us to prepare for the final coming of Jesus in glory.
The Trinity na truly Mystery of Faith. With the small understanding wey we get, we understand say God na Three in One. He na Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each One na distinct Person. Each One dey share fully in the one divine nature. Even though Dem dey act together in perfect unity, Each One dey fulfil His own unique mission. Na the Father send the Son enter the world, and na His will say the Son go give His life for the salvation of everybody. Dem send the Son, and He fulfil the will of the Father perfectly, as He join human nature with divine nature. The Holy Spirit na the Promise of the Father and the Son; He dey proceed from Dem and come down upon us, dey give us life and make am possible for us to share in the life of the Trinity Wey Holy Pass.
If this one hard to understand, na so e suppose be. Our understanding get limit, so na only small shadow of who God really be we fit grasp. But this fact no suppose discourage us. Instead, e suppose inspire us to look forward to that day when we go see God face to face and enter more deeply into the mystery of His divine life.
Today, we dey focus especially on the Third Person of the Trinity Wey Holy Pass: the Holy Spirit. To live for this oge of the Holy Spirit na wonderful gift wey we don receive. Maybe you don think for your mind say e for good to live for the time wey Jesus dey walk for this earth. But Jesus Himself talk say e good make He go. Why? Because na then He go send His Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, Who go lead you enter all Truth. So, the oge wey we dey live now, the oge of the Holy Spirit, na the oge wey get blessing pass any other oge wey the world don ever see. Na because now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we fit receive the Trinity Wey Holy Pass to live inside us. No be only through the prophets dem dey talk about God again. No be only through the Person of the Son in Jesus Christ He dey reveal Himself again. Now, He fit also live inside us and make our very souls His dwelling place. Heaven and earth dey unite inside our souls. Nothing fit great pass this one.
As the Holy Spirit dey come down upon you, He dey bring the presence of the Father and the Son. Nobody fit separate Dem. So, as we dey look inside ourselves with prayer, we dey discover the Voice of the Father, wey dey lead us enter His holy will. We dey discover the Person of the Son, Who God dey call us to resemble for every way, as we dey live as members of His very body for earth. This one dey possible because the Holy Spirit dey come down upon us in a way wey resemble how the Holy Spirit cover our Blessed Mother with His shadow, and through Him she conceive the Son of God inside her. As the Holy Spirit dey cover us with His shadow, God dey take form inside our souls, and we dey begin share in the very life of God here and now.
Today, think deeply about these holy mysteries of our faith. See the things wey the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dey do as true mystery. Na only through deep reflection with prayer we fit begin enter these mysteries. We must look inside ourselves for how God dey work, see Him as He dey work inside our souls, enjoy His presence, rejoice in am and keep our eyes fixed firmly on Him. We must see the fruit wey God’s presence dey produce for our lives, like the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The full list of these Gifts dey below. Think deeply about dem today. As you dey do so, and as you dey see these Gifts inside you, na God Himself, the Holy Spirit, you go dey see, alive and dey live deep inside your soul.
Trinity Wey Holy Pass, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I dey worship You and adore You with all my heart. Thank You, Father, as You send Your Son enter the world. Thank You, Father and Son, as You send the Holy Spirit enter my life. Make I open my soul more fully to You today and every day, so that I go prepare for Your return in glory for the end of all ages. Jesus, na You I trust.
Seven Gifts of di Holy Spirit
Fear for the Lord: With this gift, Christian dey become sharply aware of anything wey fit damage im relationship with God. E get holy “fear” of damaging this relationship, and God dey give am grace to avoid these things no matter wetin e go cost.
Wisdom: With this gift, Christian dey receive special grace to “think deeply about divine realities” with the part of im mind wey dey reason about truth. We fit see how everything take connect and know the best way to be instrument of peace and unity for our world.
Understanding: Na the ability to get certainty about matters of faith wey pass wetin ordinary human power fit give. Life dey make sense. We fit understand the deeper parts of wetin God don reveal, make sense of suffering and understand those things wey dey tempt us to doubt. With this gift, we come dey see how everything for life fit work for good according to God plan.
Knowledge: With this gift, Christian dey know wetin God want for this or that situation, especially with the part of im mind wey dey reason about wetin to do. We dey know how to live, how to discern wetin God want and which decision to make for our everyday life. E still dey help us learn from the mistakes wey we don make before.
Advice: With this gift, Christian dey see imself as one link for the chain wey make up the whole Church. God dey use each one of us to help and support one another for our journey. We dey know wetin to talk and how to act so that we go do our own part to build one another up.
Fortitude: To talk am simply, na to stand firm for mind and spirit to do good and avoid evil. Na one kind of Christian courage. Di Gospel go call all of us to live life of love wey go change us from di root. Fortitude dey give us di strength wey we need to carry am through.
Devotion: This gift dey help us, first of all, to honour and love God, and also to see the dignity wey each of us get and honour one another as God children.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
More to Read – Pentecost Sunday
Main picture wey dey above: Pentecost wey Juan Bautista Maíno paint, through Wikimedia Commons
