Gift of the Spirit


Image result for pic of holy spirit fire

This Sunday is the feast of Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit decended upon the first apostles. The eleven were still locked in that upper room in fear for their lives. Then the Spirit appeared in tongues of fire and they began speaking in different languages. They were filled with boldness and were ready to preach the Gospel.

We commemorate this feast each year and pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to enliven the Church, the People of God, with courage and fire to spread the Good News. We tend to think that the apostles were special because they had been chosen by Christ and knew him personally. Yet Peter denied knowing him, Judas betrayed him, and all the apostles except John fled when he was crucified. They were just as human and fearful as we are.

A person with spirit is full of enthusiasm, energy, and joy, and that is what we want to be. The Spirit comes to "fire us up" so we can spread love and peace everywhere without counting the cost. It's what spurred the martyrs on to offer their lives for Christ. If we are sick or elderly, our eyes can still light up with an inner joy. We need to pray often to the Spirit to help us be lights in the darkness and protectors in life's storms. Come, oh Holy Spirit, set our hearts on fire. Keep your Church faithful and dynamic in our world today.







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Limping to God I come to you, God, weather-beaten and limping, asking for forgiveness for all the times I have failed to be faithful and attentive to all those around me, especially the elderly who have run the race, the poor, the lonely and abandoned, who need my care and concern.     Is there any hope for these old bones? What will it take to change my limp into a surge of energy and a ready step? Teach me to become more caring, more responsive, more aware. Give me eyes to see and the will to act on my good intentions.   Water my dried up spirit and shriveled body, expand my shrunken heart. Give me eyes to see what you are leading me to do even as my bones creak and my legs become unsteady. Make me remember that I am here to serve, to listen, to be ready to be your hands and feet today.   Barbara Mayer, OSB    
Read more
Image
  Inspired by Scholastica Learning from Grief When I read the news headlines today (and most days), I felt overwhelmed with sadness. Most of the news was about shootings, injustices, tragedies, and murders. I wanted to ignore the grief, to put it out of my mind.   But Richard Rohr, a Catholic author, says we need to feel the grief because it has a lot to teach us. It seems the writers of the Psalms knew this. Of the 150 psalms, a third are about grief.   The psalmists grieved being overcome by enemies, losing loved ones, leaving their land, suffering illness, and more. The psalms of lament teach us that there is value in God-oriented exasperation. The psalmists always seemed to know God was with them and would help them survive. Our tears and sorrow are signs of our humanity. Lament is a very deeply spiritual practice. It is important to take time to grieve and to heal from our losses. One author called lament a ritual of cleansing and preparation for what is yet ...
Read more
Image
  Inspired by Scholastica     A Tree’s Lament The fierce winds blew whipping my branches, stripping my leaves. Then I felt a painful crack down my right side ripping open a limb, crippling my strength.   I feared the storm’s wildness raging on-- would it end my life on this peaceful green spot overlooking the graves of women long passed, with old majestic buildings looming behind me?   It holds so many memories of flowing robes and veils, women who devoted their lives to prayer and teaching and serving others.   Maybe my broken wound will heal and not be deadly. Hopefully they will not chop me down completely, let me live a little longer to provide shade and beauty for my monastery home.   Barbara Mayer, OSB              
Read more