The apostles returned to Jerusalem after Jesus’ ascension and gathered in the Upper Room where Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper. It was the first novena, and it was Jesus himself who requested it when he asked the apostles to remain there in prayer until the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). This was the very same room where Jesus appeared to the apostles on Easter Sunday evening. John tells us in his Gospel that they had the doors locked on Easter Sunday because they were afraid (John 20:19). They locked themselves into the Upper Room because they were terrified. They may have been thinking that what happened to Jesus might happen to them next. Now, waiting in prayer in the Upper Room after Jesus’ ascension, the apostles were joined in prayer by Mary the mother of Jesus, and others (Acts 1:14). What happened at Pentecost? After receiving the Holy Spirit, the apostles left the Upper Room and began preaching. When we continue reading Acts after today’s first reading, we see Peter preaching about Jesus at Pentecost after receiving the Holy Spirit. As a result of Peter’s preaching, we read in Acts that three thousand asked to be baptized (Acts 2:41).
Look at the transformation in Peter as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. When Jesus was being questioned before the Sanhedrin, Peter denied Jesus, and out of all the apostles only John went to cross. But now, as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter is transformed. He is not afraid anymore. He is fearless. Later in Acts we see Peter preaching again, and as a result he was brought before the Sanhedrin and warned not to preach about Jesus (Acts 4). When the Sanhedrin released him, what did he do? He went right back to preaching. When you see Peter in the Gospels, you would never imagine this happening. But after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter is almost unrecognizable. We see this very clearly in one incident later in Acts: the apostles were working many miracles just like Jesus, and people used to bring their sick out onto the streets as they passed by, hoping that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on the sick as he went past (Acts 5:14-15). Nowhere in the Gospels do we read that people hoped Jesus’ shadow would fall on them. Peter grew and grew spiritually after receiving the Holy Spirit. He was not afraid of persecution for the sake of Jesus anymore. When Jesus was being questioned by the Sanhedrin, Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus because he was afraid of persecution, but after Pentecost, he was no longer afraid of persecution. As a result, the Church grew and went from strength to strength.
When we see this enormous change in Peter, we can ask ourselves, “Are we like Peter in the Gospels, afraid to be seen as someone associated with Jesus, or are we like Peter in Acts, unafraid of persecution because of being a follower of Jesus?” Again and again elsewhere, I have heard this motto, “Proud to be Catholic.” On this Pentecost day, we can ask ourselves, are we proud to be Catholic. Which Peter are we like? Peter in the Gospels or Peter in Acts after receiving the Holy Spirit? Obviously, our ideal is to be like Peter in Acts after receiving the Holy Spirit, no longer afraid of being associated with Jesus but proud to be seen to be with Jesus, proud to be Catholic. If we are not yet proud to be seen with Jesus, proud to be Catholic, we need to pray for more of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to pray for more of what Peter received at Pentecost. Fortitude is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Certainly, in this culture we need fortitude to be Catholic.
Being a proud Catholic encompasses a deep appreciation and commitment to the teachings, traditions, and community of the Catholic Church. This isn’t just for priests, missionaries, or saints — it’s for all of us. Every believer is called to be a light in a dark world, a voice of hope, a hand of compassion. And you don’t need a microphone, a pulpit, or a theology degree to do it. You can preach the gospel through kindness, through forgiveness, through standing up for what is right, and by simply living a life that reflects Jesus’ love. Maybe you have felt small sometimes. “How can I make a difference?” you wonder. But God often uses the smallest vessels to carry the greatest blessings. Your smile, your encouragement, your decision to forgive — these small acts ripple out further than you realize.
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