Pentecost Sunday Sermon- Seek the Mark Of The Spirit

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 06.05.22 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

This Sermon looks at the Third Person of the Trinity in a self-applicable understanding-
as we contemplate today's celebration of the Gift of The Holy Spirit.

Focusing on the meaning of the 3,
the Bishop breaks down the inter-relationship of The Holy Spirit,
in the way we should be seeking it.
Go and make a difference.

13 min. YouTube video link below:

Seek the Mark Of The Spirit

[MurphsLaw]

Just as God breathed Life into Adam,
This sermon fleshes out how God, again through Christ,
through his Apostles,
breathes the Life of the New Covenant into us now.

[ebb tide]

And Bishop Barron has breathed life into the legality of homosexual "marriages":

Bishop Robert Barron has said he does not believe the church should seek to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision that legalized marriage equality in the United States.

[tired&retired]

Sorry, this priest does not understand the unity in the Holy Spirit. He tries to make it about “diversity.”

Oneness in God happens after people let go of diversity. The path gets narrow the closer you get to God.

[MurphsLaw]

Oneness in God happens after people let go of diversity.

Yeah ...that's what the Reich and Mao worked to accomplish...One World Order...

Cmon man... This Sermon was pretty basic...
Go back and read over Acts 2.
What do you think is being written about there...?

Good Lord man... Aren't you supposed to have that
one-on-one "personal Lord and Savior" deal...?
What does that mean to you?
Did God not create you, special, one of kind?

God could have made us all them same, but we are not.
We are each unique beings unique souls,
and therefore inherently diverse.
Thats what the Sermon is saying ...
it's not about wokeness

[tired&retired]

I’ve read Acts 2 many times.

Generally, individuality is the creation of ego which creates separation from God.

The diversity dissolves as you attain Oneness.

Dying daily is the death of individuality.

The individuals heard the sermon in their own language at Pentecost as they rose above individuality to the unified consciousness of the Holy Spirit.

I agree with you about communism and making everyone the same. Freedom and individuality is a necessary step in spiritual growth.

There is a pro communism movement in Christianity where they confuse communism with Christian community. I’ve stopped my subscription to Plough Publishing’s magazine as they were promoting the concept of “Jesus was a communist.”

What I heard in his sermon was to validate individuality. While that is ok for a child, it poisons the soul as an adult as it crushes humility.

[tired&retired]

I’ve read Acts 2 many times.

Generally, individuality is the creation of ego which creates separation from God.

The diversity dissolves as you attain Oneness.

Dying daily is the death of individuality.

The individuals heard the sermon in their own language at Pentecost as they rose above individuality to the unified consciousness of the Holy Spirit.

I agree with you about communism and making everyone the same. Freedom and individuality is a necessary step in spiritual growth.

There is a pro communism movement in Christianity where they confuse communism with Christian community. I’ve stopped my subscription to Plough Publishing’s magazine as they were promoting the concept of “Jesus was a communist.”

What I heard in his sermon was to validate individuality. While that is ok for a child, it poisons the soul as an adult as it crushes humility.

Thank you for refuting my original comment as it deserved additional pondering on my part.

I always reserve the right to be wrong.

🙏🙏🙏

[MurphsLaw]

You’re not wrong- and I wasn’t “refuting” – I just didn’t think you saw what the sermon was getting at – in how the Trinitarian reality for the Holy Spirit falls upon us.

The diversity dissolves as you attain Oneness.

The love between Father and Son, in the Holy Spirit - removes the tension of individuality and a totalitarian submission. The Holy Spirit given to us synthesizes our individualism within the unity of God.
Just in the same way Christ prayed for us that “we be one” - as “he is one, with the Father” – Oneness here yes - But in two personal, recognizable forms.
I know though, that I’m not really sure I truly understand how the 3 personal, Trinity works in this way. That gets deep.

The diversity dissolves as you attain Oneness.

This reminds me of something I read once of an analogy about of dissolving or even a chemical dissolution.
Imagine as if we were like a rain drop- and we’re falling from the sky, dropping into the ocean (God).
We then “dissolve” into the sea and become one.
Now that sounds unifying for sure – but though at the same time as our form then becomes indistinguishable – we then as souls would disappear and cease to exist altogether in that formless body of water.
Its a rough analogy no doubt- but one can see how that runs somewhat counter to what we believe in a bodily Resurrection, and eternal after life. Just throwing that out there.

The individuals heard the sermon in their own language at Pentecost as they rose above individuality to the unified consciousness of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, tongues, as one of the gifts the Holy Spirit given the Apostles for unifying, no doubt. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are various, and not monolithic in their nature as to create a singularity- or oneness. We all manifest the gifts of the Spirit in many different ways. As pointed out in the sermon - all these different people hearing these tongues in Acts were not asked to give up their cultural distinction- but to Repent, put Christ central in their life- with God above all else. In that, the Holy Spirit reconciles the human element into the singular divine Body. That is what I meant to look at Acts- in how the Gift of tongues from the Spirit- was for the many.

Generally, individuality is the creation of ego which creates separation from God.

As the sermon stated, yes, individuality abused in our culture leads to conflict, and sin. And yes the ego battles that balance that we desire to be seen as a special free thinking, free loving (Free Will) creations of God.
But I would suggest that it is PRIDE, the root of all sin, the sin of the Garden-
That it is Pride that feeds and maintains the Ego- not the individuality of the person. Our job MUST BE to crucify our ego, if we are to accept the Holy Spirit- and be freed from sin.

ONCE we can do that- its then when our individuality actually shines, and like never before- shining in a genuine way that God desires.
Look at the Saints (and the Martyrs).
Look how different they all are as individuals- all displaying different gifts of the Holy Spirit- yet they reached a place where they killed their ego- and lived totally for the other, one in “communio” with Christ- though in doing so - were often killed themselves.
We can agree a person like Mother Teresa, maintained her specific individuality, as it shined through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit- and yet still committed her life for God and neighbor. This is the path the sermon is trying to get across... and so I'm not trying to say you are wrong.
As we know, 10 people reading something can have 10 different take aways..

[tired&retired]

“in how the Trinitarian reality for the Holy Spirit falls upon us.”

John 14 where Jesus introduces the “Helper Spirit” is one of my favorite scriptures. It is so important that I try to invite the Holy Spirit into me several times every day. It is the path to knowing and experiencing Jesus.

[tired&retired]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I agree with all your comments.

I see the Trinity as levels within God. My Father’s mansion has many rooms. (Levels)

I physically see the Holy Spirit as a liquid golden Light. The Light from Heaven is much brighter and more white, especially as it shines through the portal when a person dies.

When I died, I went to Heaven and met four golden angelic beings. I asked them for help, and rather than answer, they went into prayer.

This shot me up to an even higher level of Heaven. The “Third Heaven” Paul referenced in Acts. This was bright white Light and Love beyond words of description.

One sentence was uttered to me while there... “It is time.”

Then I was sent back to my earthly body.

[tired&retired]

I remember St. Teresa’s statement in the “Interior Castle” when she met Jesus.

She said to Jesus, “I am Teresa of Jesus” who are you.

Jesus replied, “I am Jesus of Teresa.”

We truly are One.

🙏