Pentecost is an important event in the life of the Church born by the breath of the Holy Spirit that descended on Mary and the Apostles in the upper room (Acts 2).

As a parish headed by Fr Trevor Nathasingh we prepared ourselves through nine evenings of the Novena to the Holy Spirit by praying, fasting and teachings from various preachers and priests. 

On the night of Saturday, May 10, the parish of Point Fortin was like a sea of ruby as we anticipated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us. “All this celebration must be seen in the quality of life that we live,” Fr Nathasingh repeated several times in his homily.

He emphasised that our lives are supposed to reflect Jesus Christ in the world since we are children of God the Most High (Rom 8:14). What we say and what we live must relate. The Holy Spirit waits for us, to bring fulfilment to us and to create and re-create the Risen Christ within you and me.

He added that the Spirit of God gives us life to be joyful witnesses of the Gospel and to live the truth in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

He noted that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we could worship in Spirit and in truth. Worship is about expressing to God who He is, what He said, what He is doing and what He will do. Only believers can worship God. Worship is an attitude and it is a lifestyle.

As the new day crept, our hands elevated to receive the gifts, our mouths loose to give praise that was due, and our feet set to dancing as we called on the power of the Holy Spirit to rain all over us and to set our hearts ablaze.

As individuals gather to form a universal Church we asked the Holy Spirit to move in us, among us and touch the world through us. That morning the Spirit created a new heart that allowed us to sing our theme song “Fresh Fire Let it Fall. Oh God Hear our call, Send your Spirit like a rushing wind. We need Fresh Fire!”

Everyone received the breath of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that day. We were all wet, infused, and soaked as we boogied, sang and rejoiced in the magnificent awesome presence of God. The church renewed its energy and we all drank the sober intoxication of the Holy Spirit.

In the words of Fr Nathasingh, “As our song says, ‘Fresh Fire, Let it Fall’ this is our fervent prayer, that the Lord of life will pour upon us, a new anointing to lead us into a new drive for living and witnessing to the joy and the power of a life lived in the Risen Christ.

We live the blessing of God’s favour, we have seen and experienced the power from on high, let this experience of Pentecost renew our faith and give us new zeal and dynamism to be Catholic and Christian in our present time.”

With this new outpouring of the Holy Spirit we are called to be witnesses of the Church’s mission everywhere God’s grace has placed us.