Have you ever wondered what and how the world would have been if we all looked alike? If we all were the same height, the same color, the same size; if we all cried and laughed the same way; if we liked the same thing and walked the same way! Imagine, too, if our forests had only one kind of tree, or if there were one kind of flower all over the world or one kind of fish in the ocean. Imagine! If you ever thought deeply about this, you would begin to feel the boredom and monotony that would descend upon all living things.
On the other hand, think of the differences and variety of things and persons in the universe. Imagine if there is nothing holding all these varieties together. There would simply be infinite chaos and disaster. For example, just imagine if everyone were to have their own belief about driving. You can envisage how many accidents we would have every second.
But don’t go too far. Just look into yourself and ask: how many types of thoughts do I think in a minute? Do you follow all of them or do you try to allow some and discard others? How do you do that? By simply identifying your goals, aspirations, and priorities, you then can channel the thoughts to those goals. When a person can no longer control and manage those different inner thoughts and feelings, we say he or she has a nervous breakdown. It means that the Organizing System in the person has broken down, and thoughts just run their course without direction and control.
This will help you see and appreciate the place of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Pentecost is the solemnity of the release of the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of unity. The Spirit infuses us with God’s life so we can be united to God in order to be able to be one with our brothers and sisters, though we still retain our unique individual and cultural differences. In the Spirit we know we are one but many, many but one; for we all drink of the same Spirit. We are energized and empowered by the same Love of God, and are motivated by the same Spirit to call God “Abba”, Father. We are not the same, but we are one!
The Pentecost is therefore the birth of the Church – one body but many parts (II Cor.). It is the renewal of God’s creation so that all creation, filled with variety and exciting differences, can know and praise the One True God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Our Father. It means then that the Holy Spirit is the Principle of our own individual integration, and the Principle of Unity in relationships, family, church community, and society at large. It further means that the more we give room to the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the more we experience oneness with others we relate with. The opposite is also true: if we disregard the Holy Spirit, we suffer disintegration in our personal lives and in our relationships.
We need to constantly pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the unifying power of the Holy Spirit that reverses the disruptive forces in our lives and relationships, bringing about healing on our bodies, minds, heart and relationships. It is the unconditional love of God infused in our hearts that gives us genuine self-worth, and heals our debilitating emotional problems. It is the eternal mercy of God poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that heals our wounded souls, giving us new life in Jesus Christ. In this new life of the Spirit, we all, though many, speak of the same language of God: Love and Mercy to all humanity. And so, we pray: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and enkindle in them the fire of thy love. Amen