The Holy Bible begins with the reference to the Holy Spirit. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1: 1-2). Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Trinity who lives with us and in us. Holy Spirit is a witness to all our sufferings. The Spirit constantly intercedes for us, and teaches the repercussion of sins, the final judgment and to lead a just life.
In Joel chapter 2 it is said, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” We see that the prophets in the Old Testament were filled with the Spirit. The Lord blessed them with Wisdom, sense and power to lead the People of God to God the Almighty.
From the time Jesus took the form of a man and came to the world he was filled with the Spirit of God. During the baptism of Jesus, we read that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove upon Jesus and filled in him. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus set out start his public ministry. The Spirit strengthened Jesus to carry out the salvation of mankind.
Lord Jesus had promised his apostles a helper before his death. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14: 26). After his resurrection he appeared before the apostles and breathed his Spirit on them. On the day of the Pentecost when the apostles were with Mother Mary he sent his Spirit in the form of fire and strengthened them to proclaim the good news.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1: 8). When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will solve all the problems that are troubling us. He will renew us and give us the strength to be a witness for Christ. This was the experience the apostles had on the day of the Pentecost. The early Christians who believed in Christ and bore witness to him were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit strengthened them to sacrifice their lives and become martyrs for the sake of Christ. We have become partakers of Christ’s death and resurrection through our baptism and we are filled with the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation. St Paul reminds us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? (1 Corinthians 3: 16). We become the children of God when we are led by the Spirit who dwells in us.
Every Christian, filled with the Spirit should be able to live and walk a life of truth and if need be ready to sacrifice our lives to bear witness for Christ. Filled with the Spirit we should be able to fulfill the responsibilities that Jesus gave us through the apostles and proclaim Christ in every moment of our lives. We should fulfill this through our active role in the Church. Our faithfulness to the Church is the faithfulness to Christ himself. Christ works through the Church and so the Holy Spirit gives us the necessary grace and blessing to live in unity with the Church and Christ. As we prepare for the feast of Pentecost let us pray and ask the Spirit to fill us as the apostles were filled on the day of Pentecost.
On the day at the Sehion the Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of fire and filled them. He gave them the courage to go and proclaim the good news in public to the ends of the earth. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit fill us, guide us, renew us and transform us. Dear Lord, we accept Lord Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer. Fill us with your Spirit. Fill us with the fruits and gifts of Spirit so that we can be a witness to Christ.
Joshy Anappara