One of the best joys of heaven is never having to say goodbye. Life on earth is full of goodbyes. Some of these are painful, and probably the most painful of all is when we stand at the graveside of someone we love.
It is interesting to recall that Jesus never said goodbye. He said, “I will see you again,” “I will send my other self to be with you all days.”
Today, the Church celebrates the completion or fulfillment of the 50-day celebration of Easter – Pentecost Sunday. It is another aspect of the eternal presence of God with his people, when we rejoice in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and their sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world. This day has always been acknowledged as the birth of the Church, since it is the day when the frightened and confused disciples emerged from the upper room (cenacle), boldly proclaiming the mighty acts of God through the crucified and risen Lord.
Before the Holy Spirit, the apostles were afraid, insecure, discouraged, and weak. Now, they are filled with courage, strength, hope, and zeal.
It would have been easy for them to disperse, and for the infant Church to have disintegrated after the Ascension. Yet, from the unity of God, there came forth his creative spirit. That one Spirit came upon the diverse disciples of Christ and united them with one consciousness of God’s will, with one inspired energy to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. And they brought God-given unity to separated people from all parts of the world. They were transformed. And in that transformation, the Church began.
That pattern is still at work in our own day. The Holy Spirit may not be a rush of wind or decent of fire. But his coming is real and his purpose is to bring unity. And that same Spirit has been a constant source of strength to Christians since that first Pentecost. With the presence of the Holy Spirit, we are never alone, never without hope, never without help.
Pentecost has meaning for us because Jesus kept his promise. With him, we never have to say goodbye.