Acts 2:1-11 / 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13 / John 20:19-23
There are many things which exists, but just that we can't see them, or that they are not visible to the eye.
One common element that we can't see but we know it exists is the wind. We can feel the coolness of a gentle breeze, and we see how the leaves of the trees rustling in the wind, and we are amazed at the power of the wind in a storm or typhoon.
So, if seeing is believing, then we also need to know that there are things that we believe, although we may not have seen or unable to see it yet.
In the Creed, we profess that we believe in God who created the visible and invisible. And then we also profess our belief in the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of Life.
As much as we profess our belief in the Holy Spirit, we find it rather difficult to describe who the Holy Spirit is, and what He really looks like.
In the 1st reading, there were signs that manifested the presence of the Holy Spirit - the powerful wind from heaven, the tongues of fire that rested on the heads of the disciples, and the gift of speaking foreign languages.
In the gospel, Jesus said to His disciples: As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.
Then He breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit.
This action of Jesus recalls the creation story when God blew into the nostrils of man and man became a living being.
God blew the Spirit of life into man in the creation story. And in the gospel, Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into His disciples and sent them out to proclaim the good news of salvation.
In the 1st reading, we heard how the disciples courageously proclaim the Good News and the marvels of God with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today on this Feast of Pentecost, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is in us, that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and that we are to go forth with the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the good news of salvation.
As we think about the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, we reflect on the 2nd reading when St. Paul describe how the Holy Spirit works using the example of the human body.
When we think about the human body, we see it as a healthy physical body, and one part is connected to the rest.
But what happens when one part is injured, what happens when a bone is broken?
In primitive times, when the bone if the leg is broken, it spells certain death for the injured person.
But when the injured person is cared for, and the broken bone is healed, and that the injured person is able to walk and function again, when people can care for one another, we can say that mankind has developed into a civilization.
Although we say that we live in a civilized world, we cannot deny the brokenness of our civilization.
As Christians we are sent forth to bring civilization to salvation.
And with the power of the Holy Spirit, we will bring healing and peace to our world.
The world may not be able to see the Holy Spirit, or know that the Holy Spirit exists.
But we have the breath of life, the breath of the love of the Holy Spirit.
We are called to be living images of the Holy Spirit.
And we are also called to bring salvation to our civilization.