This weekend we will celebrate Pentecost, the day on which the gift Jesus promised (the Holy Spirit) was given in a special way to Jesus’ followers. While we might think about the sound of the rushing wind, what appeared to be tongues of fire over the apostles’ heads, and them speaking in different languages giving evidence that something wondrous was happening, those signs were temporary. What was permanent was a whole new level of intimacy now possible between Jesus and His followers.

Think back to when humans were created. We read in Genesis 2:7, “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Humans were created to enjoy an intimate living, loving personal relationship with their Creator. But then sin came. As Paul reminds us in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” There will be a time when we stop breathing… sort of. Paul concludes that passage by saying, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Holy Spirit breathes in us the new breath of life which connects us to Jesus. As a result, even though we will physically die, we continue to breathe in and breathe out the Holy Spirit. Christ dwells in us. His life cannot be snuffed out by physical death, but we shall live with Him forever in the Father’s House.

But the work of the Holy Spirit is not limited to making sure we get to heaven. The Holy Spirit works in us right now through a process we call “sanctification,” or becoming more and more holy like Jesus. Through the Spirit’s work we are not just “with” Jesus, but “in” Jesus. His attitudes and actions replace our sinful self-centeredness as we grow in the restored living, loving personal relationship with God.

All of us still have some areas of our lives that do not perfectly reflect Jesus and His love. Do you desire change in those areas? Pray the ancient prayer of the Church: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love.”