Jun 4 - Pentecost

+ Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost.  After ten days of waiting for the Promised Gift to come, it finally arrived with awesome force, strength, grace and peace! It shook the place where the Apostles were and flames of fire came to rest on each of them: and they were filled with a superabundance of spiritual gifts needed to launch the Church of Jesus Christ into the world with repercussion that would last until the end of time! It was a magnificent day!

And “what is it” that came in such great display? the Spirit of Joy, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Life! Armed with these realities the Church would be empowered now to be as much “The Light of the World” – as Jesus was Light of the World when he walked among us: after all, the Church is truly his extended and Mystical Body – and therefore capable of shining great light into the chaos and confusion that can reign, and does reign currently, in the world at large, especially our own country! The Church would be the source of all truth: infallible truth; the source of all moral right teaching and the source of all sanctifying grace needed to raise men and women above their natural existences and destinies to a supernatural life and destiny beyond imagining!

The Church is meant to be One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic from day one! For this reason there were guests from many lands visiting Jerusalem for the originally Jewish Feast, amd each heard the Apostles speak in their own tongues, the one message of faith, the one truth of reality, the one power of sacramental grace. And even though in the course of time the oneness of the Church has been fragmented and shattered, we pray every day that the beautiful mosaic of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church - the broken Body of Christ Himself - will be restored to its original dignity and grace and splendor!

Our part is to accept the power and presence and life of the Holy Spirit that came to us at our baptism and confirmations and ordinations - giving us the exact measure of spiritual gifts that we each need to be useful and helpful members of the Church. This portion is stirred into flame again and again at each celebration of the Holy Eucharist, giving us the motivation and power to do our part in proclaiming the beauty, the reasonableness and the necessity of belonging to Christ in the way in which he desires all men and women everywhere to be associated with him: as true members of Him, with He himself as Head!

Lord, do send out your Spirit, magnificently, gently, yet powerfully, and renew the face of the whole earth – now, using us – your adoring, worshipful and grateful children!

Among the gifts given the apostles on that first Pentecost Day were these:

WISDOM – so that believers can communicate with God on his own level, and so they can order their relationships therefore with him and the world appropriately and joyfully

UNDERSTANDING – allows believers to grasp at least in a limited way the very essence of the truths of our faith, and all truths in general, and specifically, when needed

COUNSEL – believers are able to know just how best to act almost by intuition, especially in difficult situations, and can thus help advise others prudently and wisely

KNOWLEDGE – believers can judge all things according to the truths of the faith, and thus make the right choices in how to proceed efficiently and effectively

PIETY – believers can possess the willingness to worship and serve God and others on a higher level, other than the purely natural: this would be holiness in action

FORTITUDE – gives believers the strength to follow through on the actions suggested by the gift of counsel; this goes beyond courage, it is the virtue of the martyrs.

FEAR OF THE LORD – confirms the theological virtue of hope; it gives the believer the desire not to offend God - beyond duty, this arises now from a sense of love of God and his people.

We thank God for these gifts and open ourselves to their use today and all the days of our lives – for the up building and care of others, and for our own redemption and salvation! It is in the Holy Spirit of HOPE, Joy and Peace that we say:

JESUS IS LORD, JESUS IS KING, JESUS IS OUR IMMINENT AND ENDURING BROTHER & FRIEND!