The descent of the Holy Spirit is the supreme gift of the Risen Christ to his apostles, but yet he wants this gift to reach each of us, which is possible if our hearts and minds are kept open to the daily activity of the Holy Spirit. This, our Lord promised. “Before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit … you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:5, 8). The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles also makes it possible for man to have a personal relationship with the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit does not act alone. Every act of the Father is an act of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as well. And when the Son acts, the Father and the Spirit work in cooperation. Neither act alone, nor do the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity exist and function independent of each another.

By the descent of the Holy Spirit, we are made children on the Most High and are brought under his love and guidance. As a result, we are no longer orphans. Although the Spirit guides us, we remain free and are not forced into anything we do not desire. Yet by the embracing of the Holy Trinity, man gains access to the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that works within the life of the church and which pours forth the sacramental grace which not only sustains us, but serves to transform us into a more fully human and Godly existence.

- fmv