The Inner Revolution

Author: Fr. Ignatius Britto, SJ
The Power of the Spirit
Reflection Date: June 8, 2025 Pentecost Sunday
Daily Readings: Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 14: 15-16, 23-26

The culmination of Lent is not Easter, but the feast of Pentecost. At the Annunciation, God chose to become human; in the Resurrection, God continues to remain with us by bestowing the Holy Spirit. We are familiar with the hymn: Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Melt us; mould us; fill us and use us. It is fitting to reflect on the imagery of melting, moulding, filling, and using. This is the power of the Holy Spirit—it breaks you, shapes you, rebuilds you, and uses you to build the Kingdom of God.

Today’s Responsorial Psalm (104:30) says: Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Pentecost gives us this renewal. It renewed the disciples to stand firm. Any true renewal means a complete transformation. It challenges all our assumptions about life, wealth, and even our spiritual practices.

The Spirit illuminates the once-fearful hearts and minds of the disciples and also those who hear the message with openness. This illumination is symbolized by tongues of fire. It is this same illumination that helped them to speak and understand in their own languages. That same Spirit now illuminates you and enables you to become who you are meant to be.

Another important message of this feast is that we are sent forth to proclaim the Good News to all. Our mission is to tell everyone that God is our Father, and we are all one family—despite visible differences. Therefore, we must live as brothers and sisters. The core of our mission is to break the barriers between rich and poor, between the First World and the Third World, between male and female—so that all may speak the one universal language of love. This is possible only through the working of the Holy Spirit.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our lives is the greatest fruit of the redemption that Jesus has accomplished. Life in the Spirit is God-focused, Christ-centered, and Spirit-governed. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).

Call to Action: 

• At the coming of the Holy Spirit, fear gives way to courage, and people are united in mind and heart. Was it not a deep spiritual experience for them—a new birth?
• How do you see this in your personal life?
• How do you wish to respond?