Gospel Reflection from Notre Dame

“Come, Holy Spirit!” These words, which were the oft-repeated prayer of Fr. Hesburgh, become our prayer on this Pentecost Sunday. Come, Holy Spirit, when we are hidden behind locked doors out of fear. Come, Holy Spirit, when our friends, neighbors, family, even strangers reveal their wounds to us and ask us to bind them, heal them, and to be with them. Come, Holy Spirit, when we seek lasting peace, when we need the rest which only God can offer to us. Come, Holy Spirit, when the Father and the Son send us on mission. Come, Holy Spirit, when God calls us to forgive and to be God’s mercy in the world. Come, Holy Spirit, this day, every day.

Scripture identifies the Holy Spirit as the Teacher, the Advocate, and the Comforter. It lists the Spirit’s fruits in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians (5:22-23) and the gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah (11:1-5). The Spirit is the breath, the life, the very love of God the Father and God the Son. This is the Spirit we seek and call for. Come Holy Spirit, breathe in us, renew us, and dwell within us. This refrain should be constantly on our lips and in our hearts because it is our most basic need. When all other prayer is beyond our strength, when we need to recognize our total reliance on God’s grace, let us pray: “Come, Holy Spirit.”