Acts 4:23-31 / John 3:1-8
Whenever we talk about the Holy Spirit, the corresponding image that will come to mind is the dove.
The image of the dove gives us the impression of docility and gentleness, simplicity and meekness.
We can say that these are mild and peaceful images of the Holy Spirit.
But yet there is also another side of the Holy Spirit that we somehow tend to overlook.
In the 1st reading, we heard that when the early Christian community prayed, the house where they were assembled began to rock, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Hebrew word for Spirit is (רוּחַ rûaħ) meaning "breath" and in Greek it is pneuma (πνευμα) which means breath or air.
Hence the Holy Spirit is certainly not passive. In fact the Holy Spirit invigorates passion as in the tongues of flames at Pentecost and also the powerful wind.
Yet we can revert to the passive images that we have of the Holy Spirit and hence curtail the promptings and the movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
At baptism we are born of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will move us powerfully in the ways of God.
Hence in prayer we must let the Spirit of God breathe in us so that wherever the Spirit blows we will also immediately move with the Spirit and do the will of God.