Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 05-19-13, SOL, Pentecost Sunday, Mass during the Day

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 05-19-13 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: May 19, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Almighty ever-living God, who willed the Paschal Mystery to be encompassed as a sign in fifty days, grant that from out of the scattered nations the confusion of many tongues may be gathered by heavenly grace into one great confession of your name. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

• Baba au Rhum
• Cheese Blintzes
• Cheese Knishes
• Coffee-Rum Syrup
• Fruit Brulee
• Gateau au Rhum
• Gingerbread for Whitsun Monday
• Gook
• Gooseberry Pudding
• Herb Salad Dressing
• Herb Vinegar
• Milk and Honey Cookies
• Nut Sponge Cake
• Pentecost Cake
• Rum Cream Filling
• Strawberry Cake
• Strawberry Glaze
• Wiltshire Whitsuntide Cake

ACTIVITIES

• Cenacle Project
• Come, Holy Ghost
• Confirmation Catechesis
• Family and Friends of Jesus Scrapbook Album
• Make Your Own Windmill
• Pentecost "Novena" — Focus on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
• Pentecost Activities
• Pentecost Favors
• Pentecost Picnic
• Pentecost Tree
• Pentecost Wheel
• To Thee the Holy Ghost, We Now Pray
• Whitsunday, The Cenacle
• Wooden Doves for Pentecost

PRAYERS

• Prayer to the Holy Spirit
• The Golden Sequence
• Renewal of Confirmation
• Pentecost Prayers
• Prayer Commemorating the Reception of Confirmation
• Veni, Creator Spiritus
• Novena to the Holy Spirit
• Novena to the Holy Spirit (2)
• Novena for Pentecost

Easter: May 19th

Pentecost Sunday

Old Calendar: Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday)

And when the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire, which settled upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak (Acts 2, 1-4).

Pentecost Sunday marks the end of the first novena.

Pentecost (Whitsunday), with Christmas and Easter, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity. It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

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Pentecost
After Jesus had ascended to heaven from Mt. Olivet, the apostles and disciples returned to the Holy City. They remained together in the Upper Room or Cenacle, the place where Jesus had appeared to them and which may well be called the first Christian church. About a hundred and twenty persons were assembled there. They chose Matthias as an apostle in place of the unhappy Judas; they prayed and waited for the Paraclete.

Ten days had passed, it was Sunday, the seventh Sunday after the resurrection. At about nine o'clock in the morning, as they were together praying fervently, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Note how all the great theophanies in Christ's life occurred during the course of prayer. After His baptism, for instance, when Jesus was praying the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove; likewise, it was during prayer at night that the transfiguration took place on Tabor. Surely too it was while Mary was praying that Gabriel delivered his message, and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. Pentecost followed precedent. The small community of Christians had prepared themselves through prayer for the coming of the Paraclete. The same is true at Mass today, every day; through prayer we ready our souls for the advent of the Spirit.

The descent upon the apostles was internal and invisible in nature although accompanied by certain visible phenomena. There came a mighty roar, like the onrush of a violent wind. It came suddenly, from heaven; but unlike storms that strike a structure from without, this one penetrated and filled the room where the disciples were gathered. Therefore it was not a natural wind, it was a miracle peculiar to the occasion. A second visible sign consisted in tongues of fire that descended upon each one present. These fiery tongues gave visible evidence that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them.

Today at Mass, particularly at holy Communion, the power of the Holy Spirit will come down upon us; fiery tongues will not be seen, but invisible tongues of fire will not be absent. There was still another external manifestation of the Holy Spirit; the apostles and disciples were enabled to speak various languages.

After the roar of the wind many of Jerusalem's pilgrims hurried to the Cenacle. Pentecost was one of the three festivals which obliged all Jews to be present in Jerusalem. Jews from distant lands, and Jewish converts from paganism too, attended these feasts. As a result, a colorful crowd speaking a variety of languages surrounded the house. Now the apostles, who so shortly before had hid in fear behind locked doors, came forth and courageously walked among the multitude speaking to each in his native tongue. It was indeed amazing! Galileans, and multilingual?

But the malicious too were present; they had the answer. Nothing marvelous at all! Those Galileans were simply drunk, and their drunken babble sounded like a foreign language! Peter showed no hesitation in answering the charge. None of their number, he said, were intoxicated; it was but nine o'clock in the morning, and at that hour men usually are sober. What the multitude saw was, in fact, the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy: In those days (of the Messiah), God will pour forth His Spirit upon men and they will prophesy. . . . Then the apostle pointed his words more directly against the accusers: they had killed Jesus, had nailed Him to the Cross; but God had awakened Him and after His departure to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit.

The pilgrims who had heard Peter give this first pentecostal sermon "were pierced to the heart and said: Brethren, what shall we do? But Peter said to them: Repent and be baptized; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Three thousand responded.

One final question: why the miracle of tongues? In answer, recall the story regarding the tower of Babel. Puffed up by pride, men attempted to build a tower that would touch the heavens. To punish their sin, God confused their speech. Sin causes confusion and division. Now Christ came to gather all men into His Church and thereby to unite them to Himself. This should result in creating but one family of nations again. To this blessed state the miracle of tongues points.

Yes, even we as individuals have a gift of tongues which all men can understand. It is the gift of love infused into us by the Holy Spirit. Love unites, love is a common language, by means of love we can speak to all nations.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Things to Do:

• Meditate on Fr. Roger Landry's homily for Pentecost Sunday.

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Acts 2:1-11

Pentecost Sunday

“They were all astounded and bewildered.” (Acts 2:12)

If there’s one truth we should take as our anchor on this great feast day, it’s this: Pentecost is for everybody! Parthians, Medes, and Elamites. Residents of America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Citizens of Poland, Japan, Korea, and Kazakhstan. Everyone!

Today’s first reading encompasses the whole known world at the time of Christ, in the form of the list of visitors to Jerusalem who witnessed the outpouring of the Spirit on the apostles. And from that day forward, nothing has changed. Though we haven’t yet seen the fulfillment, it is our heavenly Father’s deepest desire to pour his Spirit into every man, woman, and child in creation.

We all need the Holy Spirit because he alone can enable and empower us to live the life that Jesus won for us on the cross. We need the Spirit to guide us to the truth, especially the truth about Jesus. Every day a barrage of information and opinion tries to take the place of the only One who gives eternal life. But in the midst of all this noise, the Spirit continues to speak, telling us every day that Jesus wants to act powerfully in our lives.

But the Spirit doesn’t just speak to our hearts. He also gives us the words—God’s own words—to comfort those who mourn and to encourage those who falter. He gives us the wisdom, too, to know when to listen instead of speak. He offers to teach us how to move ahead in peace, confident in his leading, even when we can’t see where the road leads.

That outpouring of the Spirit in the sight of people from all over the world stands as God’s public notice: “I have not left you desolate. I will help you. I will teach and encourage you, empower and energize you to do the things I call you to do.”

So open your heart wide today, and ask the Father to give you more of his Holy Spirit.

“Father, I need your Spirit! Come and fill me today, as at the first Pentecost!”

Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

1. In the first reading, we recall the events of the day of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the phenomena accompanying it. Through this miraculous work, we see the Holy Spirit becoming the unifier of his people in the early church. He is also the unifier for all of us as well. How can you use the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life and others to strengthen the unity within your parish and among family members?

2. The Responsorial Psalm speaks of God renewing the face of the earth. This renewal begins with each one of us. How would you describe the renewal that God may want to do in your life?

3. The second reading reminds us that the Holy Spirit works in each of us differently in order to benefit the whole Church. This includes “different kinds of spiritual gifts.” What gifts do you feel you have been given that can be used in a greater way to build up the Church? How can you use them for the benefit of others in your family?

4. In the Gospel, Jesus’ first words to the disciples after his resurrection were words of consolation and reassurance: “peace be with you”. Jesus desires to speak these words to each of us. In the midst of the many distractions, and the busyness of our day, it is easy to lose our peace. What are the obstacles in you that can keep you from experiencing the Lord’s peace? What are some practical steps you can take to overcome these obstacles?

5. The meditation reminds us that “We all need the Holy Spirit because he alone can enable and empower us to live the life that Jesus won for us on the cross.” The meditation ends with these words:” So open your heart wide today, and ask the Father to give you more of his Holy Spirit.” What steps can you take to open yourself to a deeper experience of the power of the Holy Spirit?

6. Take some time now to pray and ask the Father for a deeper infilling of the Holy Spirit in your life. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as a starting point.

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

(A biblical refection on the PENTECOST SUNDAY, 19^th of May 2013) 

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11 

Psalms: Ps 104:1,24,29-34; Second Reading: 1Cor 12:3-7,12-13 or Rom 8:8-17; Gospel Reading: Jn 14:15-16,23-26 

The Scripture Text

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:1-11 RSV) 

When the day of Pentecost came, it found the apostles and other disciples of Jesus in one place. Although they were physically together, they were far from united in their minds and hearts. After Jesus has left them for heaven, they felt like orphans, abandoned and confused. Doubts filled their minds and fear tugged at their hearts. What was to become of them? Would they undergo a fate like that of Jesus on the cross? Feeling abandoned and confused, each one could think only of himself – for in time of fear our worst inclinations toward selfishness becomes manifest and our instinct for self-preservation becomes all-pervading.

Then an amazing thing happened. With a great rush of wind the Holy Spirit came upon them, that same Holy Spirit who had sanctified Mary. Doubts and fears were blown away. The apostles and other disciples stood up together like one man and boldly went forth to proclaim the marvels God had accomplished in Jesus Christ. They had become like Mary in their dedication to Christ. All thoughts of selfishness and disunity had been left behind in the upper room. The Church, born from the side of the Savior on the cross, had now been formed by the Spirit into a unity and manifested to the world. From all eternity the Holy Spirit unites the Father and the Son in an unchanging embrace of love. After Jesus had ascended into heaven and returned to His Father, He sent forth the Holy Spirit from Himself and His Father upon the Church to unite all its members in love as one body.

The Church of Jesus Christ is like a human body in which there are many parts: arms, legs, eyes and ears. Despite its many parts the human body is a whole, a unity, with all the parts working together harmoniously for the good of the one body (second reading). Informing and uniting all the parts is the life-giving principle, the soul. Look around you today. You see the universal Church in microcosm. You see women, men and children of every age,  background and culture. Throughout the world the Church embraces all peoples of all places. It is a true melting pot. Uniting all the people of the Church is its life-giving principle, its soul, the Holy Spirit (see Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis Christi, 60f).

Look around this Church again. We are all gathered together in one place, like the apostles and disciples on Pentecost. Today on this Pentecost Sunday, the Father and the Son wish to renew and intensify their sending of the Holy Spirit upon us, the Church. We are called to stand as one man to profess one faith with one voice (Preface). Putting aside all selfishness and individualism, we must open ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit who can blow away all fear and doubt. How earnest and sincere should be our prayer in this Mass: “Grant that we, who are nourished by His body, one spirit in Christ” (Third Eucharistic Prayer). Young or old, rich or poor, each one of us has been called to be a member of the one body of Christ. Like Jesus Christ Himself, the head of the body, filled with the Holy Spirit we are to look to heaven and call God our Father.

When Jesus promised the disciples to send the Holy Spirit, He first said to them: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). Peace is the fruit of unity and harmony. When we offer each other the sign of peace in the Holy Mass, we are actually praying that we will be open to the Spirit of love who unites us as one in Christ. This Pentecost today can have real meaning in our lives if, filled with the Holy Spirit, we leave the church determined to be instruments of peace and harmony to others. Only our own selfishness can inhibit the beautiful movement of the Holy Spirit. Worshipping God as one people in the Holy Mass, we can also lead lives in accord with who we truly are: one body, of spirit in Christ.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, come! Glorious life of God, fullness of the Father’s love given by the Son, flow like a river into my heart and wash away all of my sins. Set me on fire for You and send me out to the world as Your ambassador. Amen.

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

LANGUAGE

 (A biblical reflection on PENTECOST SUNDAY – 19^th of May, 2013)

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11; Psalms: Ps 104:1,24,29-34; Second Reading: 1Cor 12:3-7,12-13 or Rom 8:8-17; Gospel Reading: Jn 14:15-16,23-26 

Almost 100 years ago Dr. Zamenhof, a Polish linguist, constructed a new language that could be shared by people throughout the world. The artificial language Dr. Zamenhof created is called Esperanto, “the language of hope.”

The name signifies the hope of humankind that a common language might heal the divisions that exist among the different peoples of the earth. We even use the slang expression, “speaking the same language,” to indicate harmony or unity of purpose on a certain issue.

The Feast of Pentecost is the Church’s celebration of her unity and universality in the Holy Spirit, and so some of the readings used express this in terms of language.

One of the optional readings for Pentecost is the Genesis story about the Tower of Babel. It presupposes that before the building of the tower, people were united and spoke the same language. But in punishment for humankind’s pride and arrogance, God confused their speech. Divisions resulted and different languages were developed.

Whether or not the events at Babel actually took place that way is not important. What is important is that sin somehow makes it difficult for us to communicate with each other and to understand each other.

Today’s reading from Acts describes the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples at Pentecost. With the Tower of Babel story in the background, the reading underlines one of the key outcomes of the Holy Spirit’s coming – the disciples spoke in a foreign tongue, yet each nationality present heard and understood them in their own language.

In other words, the confusion of tongues attributed to sin in the story of the Tower of Babel is now removed. Instead the Holy Spirit restores, at least momentarily, a common understanding and a sense of unity.

Ever since, we’ve been trying to recover that Pentecostal experience of unity and understanding. Dr. Zamenhof’s invention of a universal language like Esperanto has been followed by: establishing the United Nations Assembly, holding summit meetings, having cultural exchanges and reviving the Olympic Games.

Occasionally people from different countries make a breakthrough in communicating with and understanding one another – not so much in the arena of politics or economics, as on the level of art, music and dance.

For example, pianist Vladimir Horowitz recently returned to his homeland, Russia, for a concert after more than 60 years of absence. He became an instant good-will ambassador because he moved the hearts of the Russian people – not by what he said, but by the music he played.

We don’t need a translator to appreciate such things as the Bolshoi Ballet, or a Picasso painting, or a Calder sculpture. Great works of art seem to transcend spoken languages and touch our spirits to unite us at the deepest levels of our being.

But Pentecost is more than a work of art or music. Pentecost is a new outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit into our hearts to kindle in us the fire of His love. The new language that will unite us is not Esperanto so much as the language of love. Even before a child learns how to speak, it already knows that is is loved by its mother.

Even though a word was never exchanged, the Jew who was beaten by robbers knew that he was loved by the Good Samaritan. Even though victims of earthquakes or floods may live in foreign countries, they welcome the message of love we send in relief aid.

Acts of kindness and mercy destroy divisions and build bridges between people. Gestures of peace and forgiveness reduce hostility and forge bonds of unity.

Tongues of fire may not come down on us today as they did on the first disciples at Pentecost. But may the Holy Spirit fill our hearts anew so that we can speak His language of love to each other and to all the world. 

Note: Taken from Fr. Albert Cylwicki CSB, HIS WORD RESOUNDS, Makati, Philippines: St. Paul Publications, 1988, pages 240-241.

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT 

Blessed Holy Spirit, You are God’s presence within us, the faithful witness to God’s mighty works and the enduring promise of things yet to come. Come, breath of God, and dwell in us. By His death and resurrection, Jesus planted the seeds of eternal life. Now, through Your presence, we know the first fruits of the harvest to come. In Your love, strengthen us and prepare us for the coming wedding feast of Christ and His Church. 

Through You, O Spirit, God’s word takes up residence in our hearts. You come to teach us God’s laws, transforming us day by day. Through You, we who once were condemned to death for our trespasses are redeemed and forgiven. We who were burdened by sin can now walk in freedom. We who deserved no mercy can now extend mercy freely to others. 

Comforter, sustain us and encourage us in our daily walk. Help us understand the signs of the times. Be our teacher, writing the word of God on our hearts. 

Faithful Counselor, lead all nations to God. Come afresh and fill the house of God with believers from every nation, race, and tongue. Make us into one body, united in our worship of the Lord. Prepare us, the bride, to take our place beside Jesus, our Groom. Overcome our natural differences as You did on the first day of Pentecost. Let everyone hear the Gospel in his or her native tongue and so receive new life. Break down barriers that keep us apart. Give us compassion. 

O great Advocate, teach us to pray in every circumstance and for every need. Move us to intercede for one another, even for our enemies. Form the prayers within us and give us the words to say. Give us the courage to speak the Gospel in all situations and to all nations. Enable us to testify to the truth of Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions. Make us instruments of Your grace, vessels of clay filled with Your living water. 

Come, Holy Spirit, reign within our hearts! Purify us and refine us! Empower us and use us! Live within us as You prepare us for our heavenly Groom. Amen. 

Source:  The WORD among us – May 1997.

[Salvation]

 

Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for May 19, 2013:

(Pentecost) “How does each of us hear them in our native language?” (Acts 2:1-11) Do you understand your spouse’s love language? Check out Gary Chapman’s bestseller, The 5 Love Languages.

[Salvation]

Come Holy Spirit!

Pentecost Sunday

Pastor’s Column

May 19, 2013

 

          One day (in a former parish), the youth minister ran up to me frantically, pleading with me to help her out of a bind.  It turned out that she was scheduled to give a short talk on the Holy Spirit to her High School youth class and couldn’t think of anything to say at all!  Looking back at this, it strikes me as funny, but how many of us could come up with even a five or ten minute talk on how the Holy Spirit is active in our lives?

          One way for us to grasp at the nature of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit, is to realize that essentially each member is in an infinite and total relationship with each other.  For example, the Father and the Son love each other so much that this love is a person: the Holy Spirit.  In this sense, the Trinity and a human family are similar—the love of the parents (ideally!) is reflected in persons raised by both – the children.

          Scripture makes it quite clear that we are meant to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit and with each other.  Relationships are nourished by our communications with others and by the thoughtful things we do for them, as well as what we are willing to suffer for them, and ultimately, by our commitment to them.  Before I prepare or preach a sermon, hear confessions, or write a column, I always ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, that he will speak and act through me, and I invite you to do the same in your own lives.  Many people say a prayer to the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the day (like “Come Holy Spirit!”), or when getting into a car, or before starting some task or before making a difficult decision. 

          The Spirit is responsible for many of the inspirations that we take for granted in our lives, and provides gifts for the church at large.  Being a lector, Eucharistic Minister, teacher or even a priest, sister or deacon are only some of the gifts God has given to the church, but all of us have received the unique gift of ourselves and this is what God really wants from us.   Everyone has gifts from the Spirit, and they are always meant for others, whether they are family, co-workers, people at church or strangers we meet or who are in need. 

          The Holy Spirit is often represented in Scripture as various mysterious (non-human) forms, such as a dove, tongues of fire, wind, or water.  All of these are, of course, simply images that help us grasp through our human senses and imagination the Holy Spirit, which by its very nature is both invisible and thus unable to be directly seen.  But you can sure tell when the Spirit is present and absent!

          When the Spirit is absent, we see “sexual vice, impurity, sensuality, worship of false gods (such as money, sex, materialism, pleasure), sorcery, antagonism, jealousy, bad temper, quarrels, disagreements, factions, drunkenness and rivalries.”  When the Spirit is present, we see the opposite:  love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, self-control, and chastity (both lists from Galatians 5). Come Holy Spirit!

          Father Gary

[Salvation]

St. Paul Center Blog

A Mighty Wind: Scott Hahn Reflects on Pentecost

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 05.17.13 |

Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:1,24,29-31,34
1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13
John 20:19-23

The giving of the Spirit to the new people of God crowns the mighty acts of the Father in salvation history.

The Jewish feast of Pentecost called all devout Jews to Jerusalem to celebrate their birth as God’s chosen people, in the covenant Law given to Moses at Sinai (see Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-11).

In today’s First Reading the mysteries prefigured in that feast are fulfilled in the pouring out of the Spirit on Mary and the Apostles (see Acts 1:14).

The Spirit seals the new law and new covenant brought by Jesus, written not on stone tablets but on the hearts of believers, as the prophets promised (see 2 Corinthians 3:2-8; Romans 8:2).

The Spirit is revealed as the life-giving breath of the Father, the Wisdom by which He made all things, as we sing in today’s Psalm. In the beginning, the Spirit came as a “mighty wind” sweeping over the face of the earth (see Genesis 1:2). And in the new creation of Pentecost, the Spirit again comes as “a strong, driving wind” to renew the face of the earth.

As God fashioned the first man out of dust and filled him with His Spirit (see Genesis 2:7), in today’s Gospel we see the New Adam become a life-giving Spirit, breathing new life into the Apostles (see 1 Corinthians 15:45,47).

Like a river of living water, for all ages He will pour out His Spirit on His body, the Church, as we hear in today’s Epistle (see also John 7:37-39).

We receive that Spirit in the sacraments, being made a “new creation” in Baptism (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). Drinking of the one Spirit in the Eucharist (see 1 Corinthians 10:4), we are the first fruits of a new humanity - fashioned from out of every nation under heaven, with no distinctions of wealth or language or race, a people born of the Spirit.

[Salvation]

Pentecost: A Mission of Peace and Forgiveness





(El Greco)

"Receive the Holy Spirit"

 

The Word: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/051913-pentecost-mass-during-day.cfm

Acts 2: 1-11
1 Cor 12: 3b – 7, 1
Jn 20: 19-23

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!

Everything that is big begins very small.  Everything from mountains, to plants, to animals, to a distant sound that grows in intensity as it approaches, to we humans.  Trees begins as seeds, animals and humans begin as a very tiny cluster of living cells that grow exponentially over time into a small baby that will continue its growth towards maturity.  Even ideas often begin very simple and once implemented they become far more complex.

So the same principal is true with the Church.  Before Pentecost, the most loyal followers of Jesus could fit inside one room. Today, Christians count in the billions and the Catholic Church alone is about 1.5 billion members across the globe.  Anywhere you go in the world today, you will find a Catholic Church and other sects of Christians established worldwide. But the explosion of worldwide Christianity over the last twenty centuries has been born of what the world would not consider the formula for success.

Unlike what we hear from our culture as the sign of a successful life: a life filled with no pain, with material comfort, with physical beauty, with no sadness or challenges, the message of the Gospel through the words of Jesus call us to: take up our cross, to accept some level of persecution for what we believe, to control our desires and impulses, to serve our neighbor with a generous heart, to forgive our enemies, to gather regularly with our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, and to follow Christ up a steep and narrow path. Did you ever hear this coming from a New York advertising agency?  

If we relied merely on human intellect and ability alone, trusting in our own talent and genius, the Christian message would have disappeared centuries ago.  We would be reading about the Christian faith in history books as a well-intentioned but failed effort to bring goodness to humanity. So, we might safely say that something more could be attributed to the endurance of the Christian faith. That could only be because of the Feast we celebrate today – that constant abiding and living presence of the Holy Spirit which gives the Church its life and preserves it in truth and charity. This faith is of divine origin and the gift of the Holy Spirit is that of God himself, which sustains this life and preserves it from age to age.

The Holy Spirit reveals the constant intent of Jesus for the world and in particular for those who claim to follow him.  The Church has become the way in which the message of salvation is always made present for each generation.  This faith has become not just another philosophy to follow or a moral code to be formed by.  This faith has become a way to live based upon the message of a person who is recognized as the Word of God among us. So, today we mark the birthday of the Church born from the Spirit in our time and space.

We see in this “birth” the very mission of the Church.  The Apostles were changed by that Spirit, which also has the power to reform every one of us who are called to be loyal followers of Jesus in this time we find ourselves.

Before that first Pentecost, the Apostles were fearful, confused, disorganized, and in hiding.  After the Spirit came with wind, fire and language (Acts 2: 1-11), they became bold, courageous, and on fire for the Lord and his message.  Like an electric cable joined to a battery waiting to be recharged, the Spirit gave this power boost to the beginning age of Christianity. The Apostles needed that surge of courage and conviction to go out and share the good news as Jesus had commissioned them.

Peace and forgiveness is the gift Jesus gave in the Gospel today: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.  And when he said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (Jn 20: 21-23).  The mission of reconciliation with God and others given to a broken world is the gift of the Holy Spirit which Jesus has breathed upon us.

Where can we find this gift? In sacraments of healing and reconciliation but where else have you seen it?  What can we do to bring that healing to others and how courageous can we be in the face of contrary messages today?

O most blessed light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill! . . .
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew . . .
Guide the steps that go astray . . .

(From the Sequence for Pentecost)

 

Fr. Tim

[Salvation]

Insight Scoop

Three Births and the Third Person of the Trinity

 

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, May 19, 2013, Pentecost Sunday | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• Acts 2:1-11
• Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
• 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Rom 8:8-17
• Jn 20:19-23 or Jn 14:15-16, 23b-26

He is silent, yet sounds like rushing wind; he is invisible, but appears as tongues of fire; he is constantly working and giving, but is often overlooked and underappreciated.

He is the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of Life, the third Person of the Trinity. He has many names in Scripture, including Advocate, Comforter, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit of grace.

In the second chapter of the Acts of Apostle, the coming of the Holy Spirit is described as “a noise like a strong driving wind” and his presence as “tongues as of fire.” Notice how elusive the language is: the Holy Spirit is not a driving wind, but is like such a wind; he is not a tongue of fire, but appears as one. There is a paradox here, which is so often the case with the Holy Spirit: he is both very elusive and yet constantly active. It’s as though you see something or someone out of the corner of your eye, but no matter how quickly you turn, they are gone.

Isn’t this the sense conveyed by Jesus, who said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit” (Jn. 3:8)? The word “born” is deeply significant for there are three very important births, or creations, described in Scripture in which the Holy Spirit moves and acts, giving life.

These three births are closely connected. First, there is the birth of the cosmos and the creation of the world: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2). There it is again: the Spirit was moving. Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical on the Holy Spirit, Dominum et vivificantem (Pentecost, 1986), further notes that the presence of the Spirit in creation not only pertains, of course, to the cosmos, but also to “man, who has been created in the image and likeness of God: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” (par. 12).

The second instance is the conception of the God-man, Jesus Christ. What did the angel say to Mary? “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35). Once again, the Holy Spirit is active; he is coming with power. Once again, he is intimately involved in bringing about a man. In the first creation it was Adam; now, the new Adam.

The third birth, or creation, took place at Pentecost, fifty days after the death and resurrection of Christ. “The time of the Church began,” wrote John Paul II, “at the moment when the promises and predictions that so explicitly referred to the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, began to be fulfilled in complete power and clarity upon the Apostles, thus determining the birth of the Church” (DV, 25). At Pentecost, the Church—the family of God and the mystical body of Christ—is birthed by the Holy Spirit. And he is the soul of the Church. “What the soul is to the human body,” wrote St. Augustine, “the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 797).

Emile Mersch, S.J., in The Theology of the Mystical Body (Herder, 1952), wrote: “The Holy Spirit is continually being sent, and Pentecost never comes to an end.” The Acts of the Apostles reveals the Holy Spirit “ceaselessly coming down into the world, no longer under the form of fiery tongues, but through the intermediary of the apostles and their preaching.”

He is still coming, filling, moving, and giving life. Let’s pay attention!

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the May 23, 2010, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

Whitsunday

By

Dom Mark

 on May 19, 2013 6:37 AM |

 

 

A Pentecost Meditation

Alleluia!
Today the Spirit of the Lord has invaded the cosmos and filled it!
Life spills out of the Cenacle
and, like a torrent of wine,
courses through the streets of Jerusalem.
God arises and His enemies are scattered;
those that hate Him flee before his face,
and those that love Him sing: Alleluia!

Today He who came down to see Babel’s tower
and confused the speech of the proud
visits the Upper Room.
He unties the tongues of the humble
and unites into one holy people those long divided by sin.
Amazed at what she sees and hears,
the Church intones her birthday song: Alleluia!

Today He who on Sinai descended in fire,
causing rocks to quake and peaks to pale,
descends upon Jerusalem;
tongues of fire dance over the heads of those
who, cloistered in the Cenacle, waited to meet their God
and at His coming, they cry out: Alleluia.

Today the valley of dry bones
begins to stir, to rattle, and to reverberate.
Behold, I will cause the Spirit to enter you,
and you shall live:
and they lived and stood upon their feet,
an exceeding great host
singing: Alleluia!

Today the Cenacle sealed like tomb
opens, a joyful Mother’s fruitful womb.
None was ever born of the Spirit
who did not take his birth from her,
and each, claiming from her the springs of his life,
calls her forever glorious, repeating: Alleluia!

Today the Spirit is poured out in superabundance;
today sons and daughters prophesy;
today old men dream dreams and young men see visions;
today menservants and maidservants
join the choir to chant with one many-tongued voice: Alleluia!

Today the Virgin whom the Spirit covered with His shadow
is wrapped in Love and crowned in flame.
Today the Woman who interceded at Cana
tastes New Wine, for the Hour has come.
Today the Mother who stood watching by the Tree
remembers the stream of water and of blood
and filled with sweetness, cries: Alleluia!

Today the Spirit helps us in our weakness
and we who do not know to pray as we ought,
pray in a way that is wonderful and new;
for now the Spirit Himself intercedes for us
with sighs too deep for words.
In the valley of the shadow of death
there rises the canticle of life: Alleluia!

Today, for the poor there is a Father,
for the destitute a Treasury,
for hearts grown dark an inblazing of brightness.
Today, for those who weep there comes the Best of Comforters,
for the lonely, there arrives a gentle Guest,
for the worn and weary there is a refreshment so sweet
that even they begin to sing: Alleluia!

Today, for workers there is repose,
for those scorched in the heat of discord, refreshment,
for those brought low by too great a weight of sorrow, solace,
and for those with tears to shed,
a chalice ready to receive them.
Today there is no one who cannot say: Alleluia!

Today, even where there is nothing good
Goodness elects to dwell;
and where there is nothing holy
Holiness makes a tabernacle,
so that the broken, the sad, and the powerless
find their voices to sing: Alleluia!

Today, there is a balm for every wound,
a dew sprinkled over every dryness;
a cleansing water for every stain.
Today, the stubborn heart learns to bend
and the stiff spine learns to bow.
In the twinkling of an eye the frozen are thawed
and icy hearts warmed through and through,
making them declare as never before: Alleluia!

Today there are Seven Gifts
lavishly given for each according to his need:
Wisdom for the foolish,
Understanding for the dull,
Counsel for the hesitant,
Fortitude for the weak,
Piety for the feckless,
and Fear of the Lord for those who have forgotten to adore,
saying humbly: Alleluia

Today for sinners there is forgiveness,
for the stranger a home,
for the hungry a Holy Table,
for the thirsty a river of living water,
and for every mouth the long-awaited Kiss.
Today heaven is poured over the face of the earth,
while the children of men in amazement sing: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

The Power of the Spirit

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Pentecost Sunday

 

John 20: 19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Introductory Prayer:Today, Lord, we celebrate the gift of your Holy Spirit to the Church, which you won for us through your patient suffering on the cross. I believe and trust in his power to make me a better apostle of your Kingdom, to bring fervor where I have grown tepid, to instill detachment where I have become too indulgent, and to perfect the innocence of my baptism, which leaves my soul more pure and worthy to serve and honor you each day.

Petition:Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart with your grace and enkindle in me the fire of your love.

1. The Doors Were Locked: What is it that makes a disciple of Christ stop cold in the path of conversion and commitment? Cloaked underneath our spiritual inertia and lack of zeal are not so much our personal defects or our lack of human virtue as blindness to the dynamic power of the Crucified and Risen Lord. We can leave our self-made prisons only by opening our hearts to a faith in Christ that is total: total trust (in spite of the confusion of the present and uncertainty of the future), total hope (by breaking away from having to see the ideal in ourselves before we will act), and total divine confidence (in setting aside the sins of others and our personal failures that keep us stuck in myopic visions of life). Christ comes through bolted doors again today to ask us to unlock them with a real experience of the Risen Lord in the power of the Spirit.

2. Peace Be With You: It is vital to examine our “peace” and see if it truly speaks of the peace of the Upper Room. Substitute “satisfaction” for the word “peace,” and see where our hearts have tried to find consolation this past week. Then substitute the word “fulfillment.” This is the peace that Christ brings through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some passing satisfactions are part of life, and we can be grateful for them. When we seek them for their own sake, however, we can easily drown out the life of the Spirit, who comes to bring us deep peace and fulfillment in life. Pentecost must convince us above all about prayer and the order of life that permit us to have constant contact with sources of grace and divine inspiration.

 

3. Receive the Holy Spirit: In the sacrament of penance, we are forgiven our sins through the action of the Holy Spirit, who makes the actions of Christ present through the priest. We believe that mercy founds hope and change in our soul. Why, then, do we not believe that this same grace from the Holy Spirit can make us heroic saints, victorious in trial, patient in difficult relationships and more effective as apostles? Christ assures us that his power will never leave us, so we have no reason to “slip into neutral” after a few bad incidents in our life. Rather, the Holy Spirit’s goal moves us from mercy to transformation into Christ, permitting us spiritually to carry and reveal his wounds to an unbelieving world.

Conversation with Christ: Oh, Jesus, I will trust more in the power of your Holy Spirit to change me than in my own efforts. I will depend on you in that face-to-face encounter I need to have with you every day. Let the sources of divine grace become my true food, and may I move away from feeding my soul on passing pleasures and vain ambitions.

Resolution:This week, I will write down daily all the lights and inspirations of the Holy Spirit I receive, and I will try to act on them with promptness, confidence and generosity.

[Salvation]

Scripture Speaks: Pentecost Sunday

by Gayle Somers on May 17, 2013 ·

On Resurrection Day, Jesus breathed on His disciples, a gesture odd in itself but packed with meaning for our celebration of Pentecost today.

Gospel (Read Jn 20:19-23)

Today’s [May 19] Gospel tells us that Jesus surprised the disciples “on the evening of that first day of the week” by appearing in their midst without using a door (locked “for fear of the Jews”).  We wonder if He had to calm them down a bit, because He said, twice, “Peace be with you.”  We can imagine how startled they were.  He showed them His wounds, in case they thought He was a ghost.  Then, Jesus gave the apostles an astonishing commission:  “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.”  What had begun three years earlier with a call to “Follow Me” (Mt 4:19) culminated in a sending out.  Their work was to be a continuation of the divine apostleship of Jesus (“apostle” means “one sent”; see Heb. 3:1).  If we have paid attention to the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ companionship with these men, we have seen clear indications that He intended to give the apostles authority to build His Church and do His work.  We are impressed by the scope of their mission but not really surprised by it.  However, after announcing His directive to them, Jesus steps out of the expected with an action that can only be described as strange:  “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”  Don’t let familiarity with this verse rob it of its shock value.  Why on earth did Jesus breathe on His apostles?

To understand this moment, so different from anything we’ve yet seen in any Gospel account, we have to go back to the beginning, to the first time divinity breathed on humanity.  At Creation, “the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” (Gen 2:7).  There is no clearer image than this of God’s desire to impart His own life into man, who is made in His image and likeness.  Adam and Eve’s fall into sin robbed them (and us) of their inheritance as God’s children, but the entire story of salvation reveals God’s plan to restore and renew His life in us.  So vivid is this image of God’s breath in man that it appears again at the time of the prophet, Ezekiel.  God’s people, Israel, were in exile in Babylon; they had been ravaged by their enemies as punishment for their covenant unfaithfulness.  They represent all of us who are spiritually dead and entirely helpless.  However, in His unrelenting determination to restore His people, God says to Ezekiel (whom He called “son of man”):  “’Son of man, can these bones live?’  And I answered, ‘O LORD God, Thou knowest.’  Again He said, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD…Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live…and you shall know that I am the LORD’” (Ez 36:3-6).

When we know this Old Testament history, Jesus breathing on the apostles on Resurrection Day no longer seems so odd, does it?  In this gesture, He begins the divinization of man, always God’s intention for His children.  The renewal of humanity begins, once again, with the breath of God.  For the apostles, this unique action enabled them to truly be Jesus’ continuing presence on earth.  They will forgive or retain sins, an action reserved for Divinity.  What about the rest of us?  Will the breath of God blow on us, too?  The other readings will help answer this question.

Possible response:  Father, thank You for loving us enough to share Your own breath with us—a marvel beyond description.

First Reading (Read Acts 2:1-11)

At His Ascension, Jesus told the apostles not to start on their mission of making disciples of all nations until they received “power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).  This helps us see that Jesus’ action of breathing on them on Resurrection Day was an initiation into the Holy Spirit, not the fullness they were meant to have.   For that, Jesus had them wait for the Jewish feast of Pentecost, nine days later.  Pentecost originally had been a harvest festival in the Jewish liturgical calendar; gradually it also became associated with a memorial celebration of God’s giving of the Law to His people at Mt. Sinai, when they had been delivered from slavery in Egypt.  The Law, or Torah, gave the people a way of life that would distinguish them from all other peoples on earth.  To seal the covenant, God actually came down on top of Mt.  Sinai, manifested in fire, smoke, thunder, an earthquake, and the loud sound of a trumpet (see Ex 19:16-19).  It was quite the fireworks show!

We need to know this history, because it helps us understand why Jesus waited until Pentecost to send the Holy Spirit on His Church.  Drawing on all the parallels with God’s visit to Mt. Sinai, the Jews gathered there in Jerusalem that day could comprehend this action as the “harvest” of God’s people, ready now, because of Jesus’ accomplished work, to receive God’s new Law of Love, to be written not on stone tablets but in the hearts of men by the Holy Spirit.  Just as God’s descent on Sinai meant the formation of Israel as a nation, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost meant the formation of Jews and Gentiles into the Church, the new Israel.

Of course, the events on Pentecost evoke the deep symbolism of wind and fire throughout the Old Testament, not just at the Mt. Sinai covenant.  At Creation, “the wind” of God (literally, God’s “breath”) hovered over the waters of the earth, ready to do God’s bidding as He brought forth life (Gen 1:2).  The “wind” of God also blew apart the waters of the Red Sea so God’s people could escape from their enemies, the Egyptians.  As for fire, recall that God first appeared to Moses, the deliverer of His people, in a fiery bush.  Also, the people had to follow a pillar of fire to make their way home to the Promised Land.

The more we know of the imagery representing God in the Old Testament, the more we understand the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost as an explosion of fulfilled promises!  See that the tongues of fire rested over each of the apostles.  They will now be God’s presence in His Church, leading His people on their journey home to heaven.  To this day, the bishops of the Church, who are successors of these apostles, wear hats (mitres) in the shape of a flame of fire.  They are marked out as our pillars of fire, leading us on our pilgrim journey home to heaven.

What about the effects of all this amazing action?  The apostles were miraculously able to communicate the Gospel in the foreign tongues of the Jews assembled there.  All male Jews were required to make a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for this feast; that explains why “there were devout Jews from every nation” there.  This immediately evokes the history of Babel (see Gen 11:1-9).  There human pride made a grab at heaven by building a tower up to God.  The solidarity of men (made possible by one language) was perverted to accomplish an evil end.  God broke it by confusing the one language into many.  Now, in the fullness of time, God grants the human solidarity for which man longs (because he is made for that) but which he cannot naturally achieve.  The Holy Spirit creates supernatural solidarity, represented here by all men being able to hear, in their own language, the mighty works of God.  This time, God reaches down to man rather than man trying to climb up to God.

So, now that we understand something of the background of Pentecost, we can ask whether all the rest of us who aren’t apostles will also have a share in this breath of God.  The answer is YES.  In verses not included in today’s reading, Peter answers the “what about us?” question:  “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:28).  Jesus wants to breathe on all of us and thus renew the face of the earth.

Possible response:  Lord Jesus, may Your Church always live in the joy of Pentecost, in awe of Your power and presence.

Psalm (Read Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34)

Today’s psalm celebrates the life-giving power of God’s Spirit.  Written long before the Day of Pentecost, it nevertheless summarizes both the past and the future.  “If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust” (Ps 104:29) reminds us of the Fall, at the beginning of man’s story.  Disobedience led to death:  “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19b).  “When You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104:30) describes our celebration today.  The world, weary in sin, is in dire need of refreshment and renewal.  Maybe we are, too.  The psalm response is the perfect Pentecost prayer:  “Lord, send out Your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings.  Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13)

The Gospel showed us God’s desire to once again breathe His life into man.  The Book of Acts showed us that the gift of God’s breath, the Holy Spirit, entered the stream of human history on the Day of Pentecost, producing miraculous results.  In the epistle, St. Paul gives us a theological reflection on themeaning of all this history.  He explains that none of us can confess Jesus as Lord without the Holy Spirit.  Our Christian faith is, itself, a work of God’s breath, the Spirit, in us.  That Spirit gives to believers a wide variety of spiritual gifts, creating diversity of service in His Church.  However, because it is “the same God” Who produces this diversity, we are “one body.”  St. Paul’s emphasis here is on the unity created by the Holy Spirit.  Let’s consider this for a moment.

Unity is the distinguishing characteristic of the Trinity—three Persons in One.  Man, created in the image and likeness of God, is hard-wired for unity, for communion with both God and others.  Sin shattered this unity (recall the immediate fracture of Adam and Eve’s relationship with God and each other in the Garden).  Babel showed us that when men actually cobble together unity, their pride bends them towards a perverse use of it.  God’s descent on Mt. Sinai was for the purpose of forming one nation for Himself out of many tribes.  He gave them one way to worship and one law to live by.  In time, that nation fractured, and a large part of it completely disappeared.  Men cannot create unity for themselves, although their hearts long for it.  Fittingly, unity in His Church was the one thing for which Jesus prayed as He faced His Passion:  “I…pray…that they may all be one…so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (Jn 17:20-21).

On Pentecost, God sent His breath to create supernatural unity.  It was experienced immediately among the first converts, and it is a constant manifestation of God’s breath in His Church, 2000 years later.  The life of Jesus in us, the Holy Spirit, holds us in His one Body.  Unity at last—alleluia!

Possible response:  Lord Jesus, forgive me when I rebel against unity—wanting my own way, isolating myself.  Let Your Spirit lead me to the unity for which my heart longs.

[Salvation]

Six Ways to Tune In to the Holy Spirit

by Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV on May 19, 2013

Powerful and peaceful transformation! That is one sentence that captures the Pentecost event. Pentecost Sunday’s readings show us that this event radically transformed the scared disciples into courageous witnesses to the murderous Jews. St. John places emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace to the disciples in Jesus’ words: “Peace be with you.” How can we as Christians become so powerfully transformed that we become transforming witnesses to others and abide in Christ’s own peace? How can we have this powerful transforming experience?

On a recent visit to my native country of Nigeria I came across a church sign that read, “Come and experience God in our Church.” I did a double-take and thought, “What? At last, a place where we are guaranteed an experience of God just as if God can be turned on and off like a water faucet!” Pardon the sarcasm but can we really generate an authentic experience of God? Is it not a frightful form of pride to think that a human being can guarantee us an experience of God? Can we manipulate God to manifest Himself to us?

God is master of His gifts and He gives and takes as He wills. Jesus Himself teaches us that “The Spirit blows where He wills.” Today’s solemnity of Pentecost show us the suddenness and unpredictability of the Spirit’s descent on the Apostles gathered in the Upper Room: “Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind and it filled the entire house in which they were.” The evangelist Luke depicts the Pentecost experience as an event unexpected and not as the disciples had thought it possible. Such an experience of God is not something that we can generate or fabricate. Neither is it something that we can force God to produce but it is something that we can only dispose ourselves to receive by the grace of God.

Imagine that you want to listen to a particular radio station and the radio waves from the radio station are already present in the air loud and clear. In addition to a functioning radio set with a reliable source of power, you must know the number of the radio station and you must be able to tune into the station if you are going to listen to the desired station without interference from other stations. Without this ability tune in, the radio set, the loud and clear radio signals, and the proximity of the radio station are useless to you.

This is an analogy of the Spirit in our lives. In a similar way, God’s Spirit is with us from the moment of baptism with the same power that we see in the Pentecost event. But why aren’t we transformed like the disciples on Pentecost? Why aren’t we on fire with the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is with us but we cannot experience His power until we learn how to dispose ourselves properly and tune-in to His frequency. Today’s readings show us ways of tuning-in to the Holy Spirit.

The first way of tuning-in to the Spirit is by constant prayer. The disciples gathered to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Though the gift of the Holy Spirit was promised to them, prayer remains necessary. Prayer opens our hearts to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit. Jesus even promised that the Holy Spirit is the guaranteed answer to every prayer: “How much more will my Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?” We must pray always and everywhere in the ways that we find helpful like the Holy Rosary, pray with the scriptures, pray at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, etc. We close ourselves to the Spirit the moment we give up prayer.

But prayer alone is not enough! The second way of tuning-in is to live in peace, unity and love with others as best as we can. The disciples “were all in one place together” despite their previous conflicts with each other and their diverse experiences during the passion of Christ. Here there was no more bickering as they used to do before about who was the greatest among them or who was following Jesus or not. The Holy Spirit descended on hearts that had resolved to live together in peace and unity. We invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts when we too strive to live in peace and unity with others. The Holy Spirit will not completely manifest Himself in hearts that are constantly fighting, insulting, bearing grudges or quarreling with others.

A third way of being disposed to the Holy Spirit is to be open, willing, and ready to be transformed and used as the Holy Spirit’s instrument of salvation to others. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of transformation and action and He wants to make us instruments of His action in the world. To invite the Holy Spirit in our hearts we must face the need for deeper personal repentance and readiness to share the gifts He bestows on us. The disciples were ready and willing to be used to proclaim to Jews from all around the world the “mighty acts of God.” With the Holy Spirit, “there are different forms of service but the same Lord…and to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” Readinesses for generous action and to change for the better are necessary for one to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

I am reminded of a woman in my previous parish that was known to get up most nights at 2 am to pray. No one knew what she was praying for. When she passed away, the family discovered that her worn out prayer book contained numerous names of people in and outside the parish whom she was praying for, including my own name. She had been praying for each and every one of us all along and we did not know it. She received the talent of interceding for others and she made use of it faithfully without seeking any publicity. If you are praying to experience the transforming power and peace of the Holy Spirit, what are your gifts and how is the Church benefiting from your gifts and talents today?

A fourth way is to maintain contact with the living body of Christ in the sacraments. In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The mysteries of Christ’s life are the foundations of what He would henceforth dispense in the sacraments, through the ministers of His Church, for ‘What was visible in our Savior has passed over into His mysteries’…Sacraments are powers that come forth from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in His Body, the Church.”(CC C#1115-6) The sacraments connect us to the risen Christ in His humanity and bestow on us the Holy Spirit. This is evident in St. John’s Gospel where he depicts the sending of the Holy Spirit as Jesus “breathing on them” and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” It is through the now glorified humanity of Christ that the Spirit is bestowed. In the new and everlasting covenant, the guarantee of the Spirit’s presence and action cannot be sought apart from the sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ Himself.

Perseverance in fidelity to Christ is a fifth way of tuning-in to the Spirit. The recipients of the Holy Spirit are those who went through the failure of Gethsemane, witnessed the death of Jesus from a distance, were slow to believing and now are gathered in fear behind locked doors even after Christ’s Resurrection. Please note that Judas alone missed out on Pentecost!! They other disciples persevered and never gave up despite their failures. Perseverance in the Christian life, more than our successes, draws the Holy Spirit to our souls. The spirit is given in fullness to those that obey, and obey to the very end. We must be willing to begin again in our live of discipleship if we are going to be in tune with the Spirit.

Lastly, a devotion to Mother Mary is crucial in experiencing this transformation of the Spirit. Mary is not just one other means of getting tuned into the Holy Spirit. Because she is the irresistible bride of the Spirit, she is perfectly tuned in to Him and she embodies all that is required to be properly disposed to the action of the Spirit. In the first place, she first opened herself to the Spirit when she pronounced her fiat to the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation and produced the God-Man, Jesus Christ. She is the perfect model of prayer who prayed with the disciples for the coming of the Spirit. St. Luke sums it up in these words: “All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus.”

St. Louis de Montfort emphasizes this inseparability of Mary and the Holy Spirit in these words: “One of the greatest reasons why the Holy Spirit does not now do startling wonders in our souls, is because He does not find there a sufficiently great union with His faithful and inseparable spouse?” It appears that they early disciples thought the same when they wisely placed Mary at the center of the cenacle when they prayed for the Holy Spirit. We would be wise in placing Mary in the center of our hearts too if we want to be peacefully and powerfully transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Mary also lived in peace with God and others because she saw God in all that happened to her by “pondering all these things in her heart.” She was perfectly ready and willing to be used by the Holy Spirit in His work of sanctification of souls. She only greeted Elizabeth in the Visitation and the latter was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” She used her intimate relationship with Jesus and gift of intercessory prayer in interceding for the couple at the wedding feat of Cana. No one had greater contact with the humanity of Christ than Mary did. Her perseverance in fidelity to Christ up till the dark moments of Golgotha was singular. We will share in this her properties if we seek to be devoted to her, to pray to her, to love her, to depend on her and to imitate her. We cannot ignore the Spirit’s bride and be intimate with the Spirit.

In conclusion, God’s powerful Spirit is with us today and He is still as potent and ready as He was in transforming the disciples on Pentecost. God desires that we experience such a transformation and thus He has sent the Holy Spirit to perfect His work in us. Nothing created can give us this experience. We cannot fake the powerful transformation that God’s Spirit brings. Neither can we force God to manifest Himself. All we can do is to dispose ourselves by faithfully using the means mentioned above to tune in and to stay tuned in.

By so doing we will surely experience a peaceful but powerful transformation.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Sunday, May 19, 2013 >>

Pentecost

Acts 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 or
Romans 8:8-17
View Readings

Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34
John 20:19-23 or
John 14:15-16, 23-26

THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

"Then He breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit.' " —John 20:22

 

Many of us reading this reflection are baptized and confirmed Catholics. It was our privilege to sacramentally "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). However, since God the Father has blessed us with intellect and free will, we may choose to "stifle the Spirit" (1 Thes 5:19) in our lives. Will you take advantage of the Feast of Pentecost, or let another year come and go?

Guard against not recognizing your true dignity as an adopted child of God (Rm 8:14-15). Though we are each unique, we "were baptized into one body" (1 Cor 12:13). How are you using your spiritual gifts to advance the Kingdom of God? Sin is our greatest enemy, and no sin is committed in a vacuum. "If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the evil deeds of the body, you will live" (Rm 8:13). Let's live for God and for one another.

Jesus, the Word of God, has revealed everything necessary for our salvation. Jesus said, "I will ask the Father and He will give you another Paraclete — to be with you always" (Jn 14:16). Trust Jesus and His Word. "Receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn 20:22).

 

Prayer: Jesus, I ask You to re-invigorate the Holy Spirit in my life and in the life of the Church. Come, Holy Spirit!

Promise: "The Paraclete, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My name, will instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I told you." —Jn 14:26

Praise: Praise the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, our Hope! Alleluia!

[Salvation]

 
 

Spiritual Adoption Prayer for the Unborn

Jesus, Mary, Joseph I love you very much.
I beg you to spare the life of the unborn child that I have spiritually adopted.

Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.

[Salvation]

http://resources.sainteds.com/showmedia.asp?media=../sermons/homily/2013-05-19-Homily%20Fr%20Gary.mp3&ExtraInfo=0&BaseDir=../sermons/homily