Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This feast of Pentecost and the readings move me a lot to think that God called me, a big sinner, to his Church and to this vocation even after being very far from him. I see the Church’s great love for me despite who I am. And I hope you have the same sentiments today on this Pentecost, this birth of the Church, which was born universal, for all nations and it speaks all languages; no one is excluded. It is something from God, not from us.
I understood better the reading from Ezekiel (chapter 37) which is a vision the Lord showed this prophet whose people were suffering greatly in exile in Babylon. In the valley of this foreign land all the graves were opened by God and the dry bones came to life again and formed a tremendous army. God said to them through Ezekiel: you will know that I am God when I open your graves and raise you up, oh, my people. He didn’t do it because they were good or trying harder, he did it out of sheer love for them, and for us. At times we are like those graves filled with dry bones, and only God can raise them up and give us his Spirit, which gives us a new life. This raising up is a sign of God’s love for us. He doesn’t let us rot in the grave or in our sorrows.
Pentecost is a fruit of the resurrection. Christ had to ascend to the right hand of the Father and remain so close to us and intercede always for us. The flames of fire came upon the apostles and the Virgin individually, to make them one in spirit and to give them the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask these days for the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, generosity, modesty, self-control, and chastity. The first of them is love and when we love then we can be patient, when we love we can be chaste, and gentle, and kind, etc.
Pentecost reminds us to be very thankful for what God has given and will continue to give to us. So many gifts and graces, and providing for us in so many ways. He has made it possible for us to endure difficulties and sufferings that a few years ago would have destroyed us. He has shown his love for us in so many ways and we have not deserved any of it. Let us use this feast to really thank him from the bottom of our hearts.