Pentecost

Pentecost 

            Today the Holy Spirit is coming to us. We want him to remain with us. But, How do we know that he is with us? Where do we find him? There are signs to check his presence among us. He is very discreet, trying to pass unnoticed, but there are some clues that reveal his action in our souls. The first one is goodness. A person with the Holy Spirit tries to do good. You notice when a person has a good heart, when he wants the good of the other, that in spite of his or her brokenness, loves in a selfless way. There is something in that person that reveals the fire of the Holy Spirit, impossible to hide.

            The second sign is a consequence of the first: joy; a radiant and contagious happiness. This is something you notice in a person and you feel attracted to it. It comes out through the phores of the skin, a smiling face, a fresh laughing and constant good humour. A person you want to be around, that moves the conversation and enlightens the atmosphere of any gathering. The Holy Spirit is not in a negative, bickering, blaming, cynical attitude. By their fruits you will know them. Children can see through this; there are attracted to a cheerful person.

            The joy of the Holy Spirit explodes outwards. It cannot be contained. It is like a volcano erupting. It comes out when you less expect it. This is why the third sign is witness. It is the example of the saints that produce large following, some of them through the centuries. We are moved mainly not by what they said, but for what they have achieved. Their lives inspire us to imitate them, to try to do great things for God. We read their biographies to learn from them, to find ways to do what God wants us to do.

            The fourth sign it is an interior disposition: a desire for God. The more we discover him, the more we want him. It is a longing that grows with time, like a slow burning, simmering stew in a pot. We want to learn, to know about God, to try to comprehend his essence. We find fulfilling the searching through the net of reasons and truths about his existence, through podcasts, talks and interviews. We are never happy with what knowledge we have of him; we always want more. The more we know, the more we love.

            This brings us to the fifth expression of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our soul: Love. This is one of his proper names. What we are created for. What we long for deep in our hearts. The source of all happiness. A Love that never ends, that is always growing, moving, changing, filling us up. It is the Love waiting for us in heaven. This Love gives us a different kind of knowledge. Something deeper, more personal, relational. We know and love with both, our hearts and intellects. And both are dependent on each other. The more we love, the more we know. The biblical text uses the verb “to know” to explain intimacy between husband and wife, because love always wants to know the person we love. Love desires to be united with the person we love, yearns for unity, something we will only achieve completely in the next life.

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