Pentecost: The Necessity of the Holy Spirit

The transformation of the apostles by the power of the Holy Spirit is one of the primary themes of Acts. The Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus at the risk of their own lives.

The contrast between the apostles' words and deeds in the gospels and in Acts is stark. In the gospels every right move the apostles make seem to be followed by a misstep or two. To their eternal credit, they leave behind everything they have to follow Jesus. They see Him perform miracles, yet they're terrified by the storm. They question what good He can do with five loaves and two fish. Peter proclaims Him the Messiah, then urges Him not to take up His cross. They receive Him in the Eucharist and abandon Him the same night. Peter is ready to fight and die for Him one hour and denies Him three times in the next. They see Him in His resurrected glory, eat and drink with Him by the shore of Galilee, but they are not yet ready for their divine mission to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.

No doubt all of these experiences, good and bad, were necessary for the apostles to lead the early Church. Our journey of discipleship in our sinful condition is often one of two steps forward, one step back. But Pentecost really highlights the necessity of being filled with the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel and share the love of Jesus with others. Pentecost was the culminating event that transformed the apostles and gave them the courage to build the Church.

Jesus had been crucified in Jerusalem fifty days earlier. His triumphant entry into the city, His controversial preaching at the temple, where He drove out the moneychangers and confounded the religious leaders, and above all His death on the cross were highly public events. The whole city knew who He was and what had happened to Him. The apostles were immediately putting their lives at risk by proclaiming His resurrection. And beyond that, who was going to believe them? Who would believe that a crucified man, tortured and killed for the whole city to see, could rise and live again?

The Holy Spirit gave them the courage to proclaim that the Lord is risen. The Holy Spirit gave them to wisdom to say the words that would pierce the hearts of their listeners. The Holy Spirit filled them with love of Jesus and the love of poor sinners that they had to proclaim the Good News of our salvation, in spite of every obstacle, in spite of every cost.

The transformation of the apostles by the Holy Spirit is a powerful testament to our need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to carry out the good works He has given us to do.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit[e] to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:9-13)