Homily given by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
Bishop of Broken Bay
Pentecost 2025
8 June 2025
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, today, on this great Solemnity of Pentecost, we gather not only to remember but to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, the divine Breath who fills the Church with life, unity, courage, and mission. We celebrate the birth of the Church, yes, but also her continual renewal through the same Spirit who came upon the apostles like tongues of fire. And today, this celebration takes on even deeper meaning as we witness our brothers and sisters receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, the sealing of the Holy Spirit, as they take their place as fully initiated members of the Body of Christ.
To each of you preparing to be confirmed: you are not joining a museum of faith, but a living Church, called to proclaim Christ to the world. The Holy Spirit comes to you not as a distant memory, but as the power and presence of God who fills your life today, and every day to come.
Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us that when the Spirit descended, the disciples spoke in many languages, not for spectacle, but so that all might hear the wonders of God in their own tongue.
The Holy Spirit breaks down barriers, removes fear, and sends us out, as Jesus says in the Gospel today, “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.” This is the mission given to every Christian: not only to believe in the Gospel, but to live it, speak it, and embody it, in our families, in our workplaces, in the public square.
And to do this, we are not left on our own. Saint Paul reminds us that the Spirit gives each of us charisms, gifts “for the common good.” These are not the private property of any one individual, nor are they rare mystical privileges. They are given to all the baptized, to each and every one of us, so that we may live our unique vocation as disciples of Jesus Christ. Some may teach, some may serve, some may heal, some may pray with depth and power, but all are called.
The Church is not a place for passive membership. It is a living Body, and each of you my sisters and brothers, is a living part.
In this Holy Year of Hope, many voices cry out for renewal in the Church. And that is right. However, too often, we look only to the external: structures, strategies, and systems. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council were clear, and prophetic, in reminding us that the most vital renewal is the one that is moral, personal, and interior.
We cannot reform the Church if we are not first reformed by the Holy Spirit. There is no true renewal without conversion. There is no discipleship without the cross. And there is no lasting fruit without holiness. The Church, if she is to be credible in the world, must once again be poor, humble, and holy, a pilgrim people, sustained not by popularity or power, but by the living Spirit of God. To be confirmed is not merely to complete a sacrament. It is to be configured to Christ, to be sealed, anointed, and empowered for mission.
My dear people, the Holy Spirit does not erase your identity but fulfils it. The same Spirit confirms who you are in Christ and sets you on the road of sanctity, your path, your gifts, your call. So, to all of you being confirmed today: let the Holy Spirit shape your heart. Let the Spirit inflame your love for the Gospel. Let God’s Spirit strengthen you to walk faithfully and joyfully as disciples of Jesus Christ in this world.
And to all of us gathered, regardless of age, background, or experience, Pentecost is not only for some. The fire falls on the whole Church. Ask again today for the Spirit to stir within you the gifts you received at Baptism and Confirmation. The Church needs you. The world needs your witness.
As we now prepare to call down the Holy Spirit in this sacred rite of Confirmation, we open our hearts anew. Together we pray as the early Church prayed: “Come, Holy Spirit.” Come into our fear, our fatigue, our brokenness, and make us missionary disciples, courageous, joyful, and holy.
And may Mary, Mother of the Church and Spouse of the Holy Spirit, accompany us as we journey forward in hope, into the ever-new Pentecost that God desires to pour out upon His Church and upon the whole world. Come, Holy Spirit. Renew your Church. Renew the face of the earth. Amen.