Let us imagine the scene on Pentecost Day and become aware of those different signs which appeared. Allow these symbols to reveal to us their significance. We ask for the grace to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, not only in this prayer, but to be alert to its promptings in our daily life. The symbols are wind and tongues. They describe this unique and significant event Pentecost, which teaches us about the power of God through nature and people.

• The strong wind symbolises the Spirit of God (Eze 37:9,14; Jn.3:8)
• The tongues symbolise the divine presence (Ex.3:2).

This is a spiritual gift as the people from different nationalities and languages were present.

The letter to the Romans highlights the importance of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the hallmark of our relationship with God as His children.

In the Gospel, we see the Holy Spirit as a memory carrier (Jn 14:26), as some would describe with this term. Jesus told his disciples that 'an advocate' would be sent to them to teach them everything they needed to know. Today, we still rely on this Memory Carrier - Holy Spirit - to lead us to the way of God.

The Holy Spirit is crucial for the life of the Church so that she can help the believers grow in faith and love, and thus be true witnesses of Christ's sacrificial love to all around us!