Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Protodeacon Edward Kostraby on the Feast of Pentecost
May 23, 2026
This spirit from that Pentecost event is also speaking to us today and can only be adequately articulated in living practically, speaking and thinking is not enough and this practical active state comes in many forms.
The feast of Pentecost is the descent of the Spirit, baptism by the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment and promise written in the Old Testament over many centuries. Joel promised a time when God would pour His Spirit onto all flesh not just the elite, but sons, daughters, and servants alike — “I will pour out my spirit on all mankind. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on my servants will I pour out my spirit in those days”
In today’s gospel John clarifies that this “living water” refers to the Holy Spirit, which would be given to believers after the Ascension. In the reading Jesus calls out to those who thirst to follow Him and we read of the confusion, the divided reaction between the people and the pharisees all wondering who Jesus is, what does he mean, all this despite the lineage from the Old Testament. The people and authorities try to pin him to the known categories within their understanding and they refuse to accept despite the various evidence constantly before them, they do not accept the new reality being shown in fear of losing their own power over people. Nicodemus serves as an example of taking a stand, however slight against the majority, while the Pharisees highlight how legalism and pride can hinder the recognition of God’s truth. Despite the desire to arrest him, no one lays hands on Jesus because — his (Jesus) time had not yet come.
The apostles returned from the temple after a major pilgrimage festival. It celebrated the wheat harvest and commemorated the giving of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai, drawing many Jewish pilgrims to Jerusalem. The apostles gathered in a room for prayers, a normal routine. This was the first prayer made by the Apostles and Mary without Jesus. Suddenly, the routine is shattered, they heard what sounded like a powerful wind, tongues of fire appeared and the gift of diverse languages came, it wasn’t just for one tribe or one language, it was for the world. From that room, the church expanded and the diverse gifts and ministry of the Holy Spirit have been with us to this day. St. Paul reminds us, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” This freedom isn’t just a feeling; it has also to be lived. As a priest friend once said, “There are no new sins, but there are always new ways to live in the Spirit.”
Jesus was relentless in his life to awaken awareness and faith in God’s kingdom. The early christians, continued to experience the power of Jesus’ presence among them after the Pentecost event in leadership and inspiration spreading the gospel
This spirit from that Pentecost event is also speaking to us today and can only be adequately articulated in living practically, speaking and thinking is not enough and this practical active state comes in many forms as follow:
1. We can start with a simple habit of daily pray, a personal asking for help and guidance, looking for inner transformation — Jesus prayed a lot, many times in the gospels and it is an area where it can become a daily “nudge” of the Spirit a simple habit to practice each day
2. We then have our public life as members of our church community joining and sharing the liturgy, supporting one another in our faith and acknowledging each other. Jesus did this a lot, always being with people, living amongst them
3. This can then be extended to directing our lives to the wider world, beyond our personal life, to be more public, reaching out in the immediate and direct care of persons who are suffering and in need, again as Jesus did in his three years of ministering to people. Jesus had compassion and so can we to the homeless, the starving humans around the world, those constantly humiliated, degraded by dictators and for those who will come after us who will suffer because of the way we live today, it is only when like the good Samaritan we discover our common humanity, that we begin to experience the spirit of Pentecost at work in our live — this is the living water, the flow of the spirit
The Holy Spirit is a gift of diversity, supporting this diversity with spiritual wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord as described in the Old Testament and catholic tradition. Like the air we breathe the Holy Spirit is everywhere present and fills all things, unmeasured, unrestricted, it does not overpower one’s personality but, nudges and invites cooperation. The Holy Spirit is not meant to sit idle on in our minds, but must be active and practical for daily life
