"God is love and God gives love to us in Person. The events marking the Holy Spirit's coming among man on the first Pentecost are full and overflowing with the marks of true love."[1]

Pentecost was surely an important event in the life of the early Christian community and as a Christian, I believe that Pentecost is, and will surely remain, of vital importance for the life of the church in its entirety.

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house." (Acts 2:1-2). Then, the disciples were anointed by the immense power of the Holy Spirit to evangelise in Christ's name, and be witnesses that he is the Lord, the anointed Son of God who was raised from death by the power of His Spirit.

One might ask: "why is this event important today?" The importance of this event is reflected in the fact that today we too should be his witnesses every day and everywhere. We all know that the world we live in is being submerged more in its materialism; we are living in an affluent society but I think that to a certain degree we recognise that society is missing something. It is indeed delivering what we may call ben esseri but we too recognise that this society is also being influenced with other secular values and modus vivendi which are not in accordance with the human and spiritual values we, as a Maltese nation enjoy.

The period of Pentecost is surely an important occasion for us as theology students to reflect if our lives are in fact being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides and leads the Church today and we as Catholic students should feel the urgent need to convey the message that God is present in us. He is present in us because he loves us; because he is true love; this is surely the perennial message of Pentecost. "Love wants union, not of hearts alone but of fellowship. It is not enough to love and to be separate, we must love and be together. 'If anyone loves me he will keep my word', Jesus says, 'then my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our dwelling place with him.' Here is the heart of the Christian joy, the fact the God dwells with us always in himself and often in his bodily Eucharistic presence. Love can do no less when it is in Love's power, and because he who loves us is God it is indeed in His power and is done".[2]

Pentecost is surely an occasion of hope; we should never give up. We should believe even more that with the grace of the Holy Spirit we could be an apt means to convey the relevance of Pentecost, the Christian message today and tomorrow.

Notes: 

[1] Herbert F. Smith, S.J., Living For Resurrection, Joseph F. Wagner, INC, Publishers, New York, 76.

[2] Ibid., 77.