Pentecost Is for Us!
Can I really experience the Spirit as the Apostles did?

When the Holy Spirit descended powerfully on the first Pentecost, three thousand men and women experienced an exciting outpouring from heaven. Through Peter, they heard about Jesus Christ, about the resurrection from the dead, and about the promise of God’s presence in their own lives through repentance and baptism. But that was only the beginning. When these people returned home, they began preaching the gospel, healing the sick, and establishing churches throughout the ancient world. From Pentecost on, their lives were never the same.

Luke’s account of the workings of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts should provoke questions in our lives. Amazing miracles and healings took place two thousand years ago. Countless people from many different backgrounds experienced the Spirit changing their lives. Such astonishing results should move us to ask whether we can expect to experience the Holy Spirit in a similarly powerful way. In this article, we want to look at how each one of us can experience Pentecost—not just once, but throughout our lives.

Pentecost Is for Us! Have you ever noticed the vast difference that can exist between understanding something intellectually and experiencing it personally? Before his death, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, but his disciples had little understanding of what he meant until the Spirit fell on them in power on Pentecost. It was only then that they could grasp Jesus’ teachings in a personal way. It was only then that they had the inner compulsion to fulfill Jesus’ commission to carry his presence to the ends of the earth. Clearly, they needed more than an intellectual grasp of Jesus’ message.

The promise of Pentecost is that every one of us can experience the Spirit’s power breathing life into our understanding. Just as the Spirit brought the gospel alive for the disciples, he wants to transform us through a personal revelation of the truth of Jesus Christ.

A simple example illuminates this difference between intellectual understanding and experience. One day, a ninth grade science teacher asked her brightest student to define “centrifugal force.” The student explained the theory in mind-numbing detail, while her fellow students turned glassy-eyed with boredom. A few even fell asleep! The teacher then invited two boys—one a football player—to the front of the class. The athletic one grabbed his smaller classmate by the hands and whirled him around. The smaller student yelled as his legs defied gravity and he began to fly around in a circle. The whole class witnessed the concept of centrifugal force in a very direct way. No one slept through this experience!

Like the “A” student, we can intellectually acknowledge the Spirit’s presence within us, and yet not know how to draw upon his power to change our lives. This Pentecost, let us ask ourselves, “Am I experiencing the Spirit guiding me, moving me, and transforming my life? Have I had my own personal Pentecost experience?”

A Personal Experience. The writers of the New Testament described the Spirit in a variety of ways. They called him “Comforter” because they knew what it was like to be consoled by the Spirit. They called upon him as their “Advocate” because he had defended them during trials and persecution. He was the “Spirit of Revelation” because the Spirit personally revealed to them the majesty of Jesus and opened their minds to understand God’s purposes and actions in history.

They came, not just because the first Christians were creative with their use of words. They are not just the result of the theological reflections of the writers of the New Testament. Above all, each of these titles is a reflection of the personal experience of the first Christians as they gathered together to worship the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, the Spirit wants to touch you as deeply as he touched the first believers, but he can only do so to the extent that you invite him into your heart. As you experience the indwelling Spirit molding you and changing you, you too will feel compelled to go out and build the church. You too will become like Paul, Philip, Mary, and countless other disciples.

“Come and Find Me!” In your walk as a Christian, do you ever feel alone? If the Holy Spirit abides in us, why do we sometimes feel isolated, left to face the battles of daily life on our own? Yet the truth is that, in every single situation, the Comforter is close to us, whispering, “I am in you. Come and find me. You do not have to fight this battle alone!”

A father of four recently shared with us how he discovered the Spirit right beside him during a recent trial:

A couple of nights ago, I came home from work really tired from juggling a lot of projects at my job. I just wanted to sit down after dinner and watch television to recover. But the moment I stepped in the house, I could see how the kids had worn out my wife. I can really get upset when I see the kids treating their mom with disrespect. I simply had no reserve of peace left to deal with them as I should have, so I started yelling at them. Looking back, I can see how maybe one of them might have deserved such a response from me—but certainly not all of them.

After dinner, I sat down and prayed: “Lord, I don’t have the strength to deal with this. Help me love my kids.” Just that little moment of prayer made all the difference. I could quietly sense the Spirit telling me, “No matter how the children act tonight, don’t yell at them. If you have to send them to bed early, okay. But no yelling tonight.” That was easy. I could do that! We even gathered the family together for a few minutes and read the Scripture readings for the day. I know that the Lord was close to me and was guiding me, because it wasn’t my ability that turned that night around.

How it must sadden God when we think that the all-powerful Holy Spirit is distant from us. Not only does thinking like this keep us from being transformed into Christ; it simply is not true. The Holy Spirit is always at our side, always seeking to work in us. When you are in a difficult situation, ask yourself, “Am I listening for the Spirit right now? Am I docile to his promptings and urgings?” God’s grace can transform us, but not without trials. The more we recognize his presence, the greater will be our strength and endurance in times of trial.

Facing the Challenge. Much of the Christian life is like a tug-of-war. On the one hand, the indwelling Spirit compels us to love Jesus more in prayer, at Mass, and in our daily lives. On the other hand, we are pulled by the desire to have our own way, to be comfortable, and to surround ourselves with possessions.

Whenever we face the struggle between living for ourselves and living for Jesus and his people, we can allow the Advocate to join us in the battle. If we face trials apart from the Spirit, we will not have everything we need to prove victorious. Scripture promises, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Let us all be clear in our minds: When we draw close to the Spirit of Christ, we turn to the One who has defeated Satan and now offers to heal our divided nature.

Surely we play a part? Yes, our part is to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Our part is to stand firm in Christ, claiming the truth that God’s Spirit lives in you. When you wake up in the morning thinking, “I don’t want to face today’s challenges,” allow the Spirit in you to face the challenges. Don’t face them alone. Draw on his promises as your strength for that day. “I am a child of God. God loves me so much that he left his throne for me. My sins or struggles are nothing compared to the immensity of his love!”

Loving the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Person, just like the Father and the Son. He is the one who pours divine life and love into our hearts. Should we not love him in return? We who are parents can spend so much time and money on ourselves and our families. We pay for our children’s sports leagues. We attend training courses to advance in our careers. We watch our weight and pay handsomely for health and beauty products. How much more worthy of our time and attention is the Holy Spirit! He loves each of us passionately, and he longs for our love in return.

In the next essay, we will take a look at the fruit of a life that is surrendered to the Holy Spirit. What kind of difference can the Spirit make in our day-to-day lives? How can a life led by the Spirit stand as a shining light to the world?