God's dealings with us are always truly wonderful, whether they are as visible as Pentecost or as secret as our innermost thoughts. Yet, visible or invisible, God's wondrous ways are meant, not merely to provoke astonishment, but to engender faith and then obedience to the Father's call. The Holy Spirit came not only in the gift of tongues, but in that more precious gift of divine wisdom. So, as soon as the event had attracted people's attention, Peter was moved to refer to scripture for an explanation of what was taking place: only the word of God can adequately explain the wonders of God.

In today's readings, we can find some of the meaning of Pentecost in the words of the Risen Jesus in the Gospel, as He breathed the Spirit upon His disciples, giving them power to forgive sins. Jesus greeted His disciples with "peace" and their hearts were filled with joy - three great gifts of the resurrection: peace, joy and the Spirit bringing forgiveness to those who repent. The Spirit is a Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, Paul tells us (Gal. 5:23), and that is affirmed for us as we meditate on today's Gospel: pardon and peace, with the joy of knowing we are truly forgiven and set free from all our sins - these are some of the signs of the Spirit's coming into our lives.