Pentecost Sunday B Joh 15,26-27; 16,12-15

We are experiencing the wonderful celebration of the Sending of the Holy Spirit – Pentecost. Initially, it was a pleasant holiday in Jewish culture – celebrating the wheat harvest. In connection with Jesus’ departure to heaven and the sending of the Comforter Spirit, we can safely say that it is also a harvest festival, but this time not of wheat, but of gifts and of the Church that is being born. If we were looking at the beginning of the Church, it was precisely Pentecost when the apostles appeared in public for the first time, and the first followers were added to them. It is no longer the example of Jesus but the word of the Comforter, which attracts into the arms of the new family of God’s children those who long for fulfillment, for the meaning of life, and for God.

The Holy Spirit is one of the persons of the Holy Trinity, as important as the Father and the Son. Yet, it is a divine person who is often neglected by Christians and needs to be given more importance and attention. And without him, we would not have the gifts we receive, entirely undeservedly. Without the Holy Spirit, God would be unreachable far from us; Christ would be only a thing of the past; the Gospel a dead manuscript; the Church would be only some organization; the authority would mean domination, missionary mission only propaganda. But with the Holy Spirit, the universe lives and is not only in pain; the resurrected Christ is present among us, the Gospel is the power of life, the Church means community, authority is voluntary service, and missionary mission is the celebration of the Holy Spirit.

The Church has existed for 2000 years, despite everything it has been through, despite all the mistakes that Christians have made and are making, despite all the persecutions either from their members or from others. But what holds it, what sanctifies it, is the Holy Spirit himself. We have also had the Holy Scriptures for a long time, and generation after generation, it can appeal again to those who bow down in humility and allow themselves to be inspired by it. The Holy Spirit is still active. From him come all the charisma and gifts we need for the Christian life and serving others. And yet, in the Church and our lives, the Holy Spirit is always somewhere in the background because we do not ask him for help. Jesus wants many difficult things from us, but we try to handle everything independently. We remember Only when we fail, but it’s usually too late; it has nothing to do with responsible and trusting reliance on God; that’s human calculation.

We try to live holy, but we fail. Furthermore, we try not to sin, but we can’t. Likewise, we strive to live according to the requirements of Scripture, to live the Gospel with our lives, but we fail. We try to be good mothers, good fathers, good Christians, but without success. The reason is straightforward: we try to do it ourselves with strength. We do not ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to come and give us strength to do what we are not good at.

Once upon a time, there was a man who watered the garden. A huge boulder stood in the middle of the garden. The man called his son and asked him to roll the boulder away. He knew very well that he was asking for a deed far beyond the powers of a small boy. Little Joseph leaned against the boulder to roll it away but without success. The boulder was too heavy for him. He thought, “How is it possible Father wants something from me that I am not good enough for? Then he turned to his father and said: “Dad, I can’t do it.” The father looked at little Joseph and replied: “Joseph, you forgot something important. Look, I’m here with you. But you forgot to ask me for help.”

And so the question arises: Do you want to get help? “Do you want to penetrate the depths of God”? (cf. 1 Cor 2:10) Do you want to know God even more? (Not only with reason and theory, but with the whole person). Do you want to understand Scripture? Do you want to see the real presence of God in your life? Do you want to become light for others and salt for this earth? Do you long for healing, fulfillment, forgiveness, and acceptance? Do you long to meet love? Then open your heart wide and invite Him in. But you have to want it, not just wishfully dream about it.

Talking about the Holy Spirit is a very demanding and challenging task. It is like explaining the secret of the Trinity of God; when a person thinks that he knows something and has managed to grasp something, he finds out how far he is from the truth. The Holy Spirit is the person who moves the universe; he is the untouchable giver of all good. To know Him means to meet Him and experience Him in oneself. I wish each of us could do it. Only one thing is needed: invite Him into your life and not pretend you can handle most things alone.