As
we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, that glory, which comes
from the Lord who is the Spirit, transforms us all into his own likeness, from
one degree of glory to another. Does
this not show that the Spirit changes those in whom he comes to dwell and
alters the whole pattern of their lives?
With the Spirit within them it is quite natural for people who had been
absorbed by the things of this world to become entirely other-worldly in outlook,
and for cowards to become men of great courage.
There can be no doubt that this is what happened to the disciples. The strength they received from the Spirit
enabled them to hold firmly to the love of Christ, facing the violence of their
persecutors unafraid. Very true, then,
was our Savior’s saying that it was to their advantage for him to return to
heaven: his return was the time
appointed for the descent of the Holy Spirit.
--St. Cyril of
Alexandria,
from his commentary on the Gospel of John
Image source: https://sharinghorizons.com/pentecost/
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