The Holy Spirit endows us with many gifts and fruits, among which is the Spirit of love to forgive sins. That is, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love that fosters unity in diversity through reconciliation and forgiveness of sin. Our mission as Christians and as a Church is to be an instrument of love and reconciliation through the action of the Holy Spirit.
The power of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son is not only the giver of life or the spirit of love. It is an enormous power that propels the Christian life to completion. That is, in our Christ witness to the Risen Christ. It is a manifested power in the modus operandi of the Spirit.
He is the spirit of truth, love, unity, gifts, communication and organization. In the Spirit, all is perfectly harmonised for greater efficiency. The Holy Spirit is the motor, energy or power that brings to life the Christian life and testimony. Without the Holy Spirit, the Christian life is dead.
The readings explain how the Holy Spirit is the precious gift of the Crucified and Resurrected Christ to us. He is the indwelling Spirit of God in us that leads, guides, illuminates, and sanctifies our being, existence, and Christian life and effort.
The principal purpose of these readings is to create awareness of the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in our Christian life or the Church. Indeed, for us to love genuinely and to keep rules and regulations faithfully are the two most difficult things in the world.
On this third Sunday of Lent, Jesus offers us living water with the gift of the Holy Spirit that wells up in us to eternal life. It is one of the most beautiful images of the Sacred Scripture an ever-flowing spring that sprouts for the fountain of God´s grace, mercy and love. Christ invites us freely to drink the living water that flourishes and refreshes us.
It is an indisputable fact that no Christianity or Christian is living without the Pentecostal experience. This is because it is the Pentecostal experience that transforms, renews and makes us authentic witnesses of Christ in the world.
The abiding presence of God through the Holy Spirit is the most recurring theme of the scriptural readings, as we draw closer to the end of the Eastertide that culminates with the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost. Indeed, the readings this Sunday are all about the abiding love of God through his Spirit of love.
The Solemnity of Ascension of the Lord is the feast of the Risen Christ with a glorified body taken up to heaven and now setting at the right hand of God forever. It is plain from Scripture that Jesus’ ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He rose from the ground gradually and visibly, observed by many intent onlookers.