ASCENSION AND PENTECOST ANTICIPATED IN THE CHURCH

This week and the week to come the Church universally acknowledge the Ascension of Jesus into heaven (Jn. 17) and the Pentecost and out pouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts. 2). These two events of the Church culminate the Easter season.

The Ascension was an event that took place forty days after the Resurrection of Christ from the dead.  One would have naturally thought that the event of the Ascension would normally end the resurrection episode but this is not.  It was only after the Ascension that Christ became present in the world in a way that he never was before.  This is because the spirit that he sent like the wind blows whenever he wills.

The celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost by the Church is normative liturgically.  But the out pouring of the Holy Spirit is not a regulated force rather God from the abundance of His goodness gives out His Spirit always.  At the Pentecost event (Acts 2) the coming of the Holy Spirit was expected and anticipated.  The coming of the Holy Spirit was something that was promised by Jesus Christ who used his ministry to prepare his disciples for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The disciples especially the apostles in turn prepared themselves for the Spirit of God and were able to receive it.

In this present age and time, the world is not devoid of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit because Jesus’ promise was for the Holy Spirit to be with the Church until the end of time.  For the Church to receive the Spirit which enables it to witness properly to the resurrection of Christ and his presence in the world, the Church should always witness to Christ.  As a Church, as a people of God in Christ, we should go back to God’s holy word listen to it and live by it always.  Only by doing so could we put ourselves in the position to receive the Spirit of God. 

The Holy Spirit recreates what is in existence, it renews what has already been born.  It strengthens what is already there.  It makes us remember what we have been taught already.  If by our lack of association with Christ, nothing has been born or created in us there would be nothing in us meant for the Spirit to recreate.  If by lack of knowledge of him we have neither got nor learnt anything from Christ, the Spirit has no business in us, strengthening what is not reminding us what we don’t know at all.

For the Holy Spirit to come to us believers there is great need for us to put our lives and affairs in proper order so that the Spirit of God finds a home in us and dwell in us.