Happy Pentecost! Happy birthday of the Church! Come, Holy Spirit! On this "last and greatest day of the festival," Jesus continues to cry out: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me; let him drink who believes in Me. Scripture has it: 'From within Him rivers of living water shall flow.' (Here He was referring to the Spirit)" (Jn 7:37-39).

The Holy Spirit will come to us and through us renew the face of the earth (Ps 104:30). The Spirit will make us witnesses for the risen Christ (see Acts 2:32). He will give us the words to say (Mt 10:19-20), and people of all nations will believe that Jesus is Lord (see 1 Cor 12:3). Through faith, they will accept the Lord's gift of salvation, and the world will be renewed.

The renewal of the earth, the acceptance of salvation, and our witnessing for Jesus depend to a large extent on Christians being united. Jesus is praying even now that we would be one as He and the Father are one so that the world will believe the Father sent Him (Jn 17:21). Our unity is the basis for faith, which is the basis for salvation (Eph 2:8), which is the basis for renewal. The Spirit will never renew the world unless He unites us.

Therefore, "it was in one Spirit that all of us...were baptized into one body" (1 Cor 12:13). "Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin" (Eph 4:3). May peoples of all nations, denominations, and divisions repent, forgive each other, understand each other, and be one in the Spirit. Then all will be saved (1 Tm 2:4), and the world renewed. Come, Holy Spirit of unity!

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, October 9, 1998

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 17, 1998