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Pentecost is not just a solemnity of the Holy Spirit “in isolation,” said Papal Nuncio Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu. “What we celebrate is a manifestation of God made possible through the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is a manifestation of the Holy Trinity.”
The Nuncio’s comments came after he offered the opening prayer at the first ‘Veni Creator Spiritus Fire Fire Fire’ Conference. The May 22 virtual event was organised by the Upper Room Prayer Group, which began meeting last year during the first lockdown.
In his brief address, Archbishop Nwachukwu described the imagery of fire, as the flame being God the Father, the light which emanates as Jesus Christ the Son (Jn 8:12), and the Holy Spirit as the heat or warmth.
“When we speak of ‘fire’, we’re speaking of the whole reality that is God made present through the Holy Spirit,” he explained.
Archbishop Nwachukwu said on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was “an agent of transformation”, transforming the condition of the apostles.
“The Holy Spirit wishes to empower us on Pentecost to reach out beyond the blockages, beyond the lockdowns that we have,” he said. “We are locked up due to Covid; we are locked up due to curfews”, illness, fears, and preoccupations, he said. “But if we open our minds and ourselves to the Holy Spirit, he will empower us to reach out to others. We cannot say we have received the Holy Spirit if we are locked up in ourselves.”
The Nuncio also spoke of the word ‘Pentecost’ coming from the Greek Pentikostí, meaning “fiftieth, which has great significance in the Bible”. Referencing Leviticus 25:7–11, he said fiftieth meant a year of jubilee, and therefore Pentecost is a jubilee feast. “It is a day of beginning afresh. A day of forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is the source of forgiveness and it gives us the chance to start anew.”
Other speakers during the three-hour-long conference were permanent Deacon Pierre Douyon, Archdiocese of Miami, ‘Accessing, recognising and using the Gifts of the Spirit’; Archbishop Jason Gordon, ‘Power Gifts (healing, faith, miracles)’; permanent Deacon Baldwin Powell, Diocese of Montego Bay, ‘The Upper Room-Then & Now’; Fr John Theodore CSSp, ‘The Spirit Renews’; Fr Kenwyn Sylvester, ‘Revelation Gifts (knowledge, wisdom & discernment)’; and Deborah de Rosia, Eternal Life Community, ‘Inspiration Gifts (prophecy, tongues & interpretation)’.
Winston and Debbie Garcia of the People of Praise Community, and Artherly Nicholas of GRACE contributed to the music ministry. The conference was livestreamed on Facebook and saw more than 400 persons logging in to the Zoom link. It can be viewed on the Upper Room Prayer Group – RS
