Inspired by Scholastica Come Holy Spirit When Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles were lost for a while. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, but what that would mean, they were not sure. Jesus spoke about fire and wind, but I’m sure that was hard to grasp. So, they waited and prayed that this spirit would come and help them know how to spread the Good News. When Jesus was with them, they had a leader. When he left them, I’m sure they felt a little lost. Then ten days later, they were gathered with some followers; and when Peter preached, everyone heard him speaking in their own language. In addition, tongues of fire appeared over their heads and a mighty wind came over the assembly. This filled the apostles and the others with courage to begin baptizing believers. Soon they began to build small house churches. Pentecost is considered the beginning of the Church. The apostles were given the courage to spread the ...
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How Sister Thea Bowman Can Inspire Us
When Sister Thea Bowman, a Black sister, addressed the United States Catholic bishops in 1989, she began by singing several lines from an African-American spiritual: “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child/A long way from home.” She told the bishops that, as a Black woman and a Catholic, she brought her whole history, her traditions, her culture, her African-American experience, her whole being as a gift to the church. Her spirituality was “contemplative and biblical and holistic,” a spirituality . . . “that steps out in faith, that leans on the Lord, a spirituality that is communal.” Although she must have felt like her vision and contribution were not valued by the Church, she gave her gifts generously and wholeheartedly. The bishops listened and were charmed by her enthusiasm. At the end, she had them singing and swaying with African-American music. It must have been quite a sight to see these bishops, with their croziers and crimson-trimmed robes, clapping and singing along with ...
Jesus Bent Down Several times in the New Testament the authors recorded that “Jesus bent down.” Last Sunday it was when the woman was caught in adultery. The evangelist writes, “Jesus bent down and began writing in the sand.” When Jesus invited those without sin to cast the first stone, all walked away. Jesus, the itinerant preacher, met the eyes of the woman and asked, “Has no one condemned you?” And she answered, “No one.” There are other occasions when Jesus bent down. I’m sure he bent down often when he was learning carpentry from Joseph. A carpenter bends down many times to get the correct measurements for a chair or table and to shave the wood to make it smooth. And when he was separated from his parents when they came to Jersusalem for the Passover, he not only bent down but sat down with the Jewish leaders to open up the Scriptures with his knowledge. When he gathered the children around him, I’m sure he bent down to be on their level. Probably some of them crawl...
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