Pentecost

Prayer to the Holy Ghost for Guidance

Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy Divine Love.
Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful with the light of the Holy Spirit,
Grant, that by that same gift, we may be always wise and ever rejoice in His Consolation,
Through Christ, Our Lord, Amen.

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   Yesterday was the Feast of Pentecost. During Our Lord's public life He laid the foundation of His Church. After the Resurrection He gave it powers needed for its mission. As Father put it a week or so ago in anticipation for the promised descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, they still didn't get it. One would think that after being with Jesus for three years, hearing Him, seeing His miracles,  that it would be enough. Yet, they were still not "kindled" with the fire they needed. They fled when Christ was crucified. They hid and, even though He told them He would rise, they were skeptical. Men are a little dense, sometimes, if you'll excuse my personal opinion. Mary Magdalen didn't have to think twice about the reality of the Resurrection. Even after Our Lord appeared to the Apostles, ate with them, told them that He would be leaving but would return, they still didn't fully grasp what was happening. They were still weak in their faith and confidence.

   Father said, though, that the one thing they did was OBEY.  Christ told them to go and WAIT.  This they did, and because they were obedient, the Holy Ghost came. He gave the Apostles gifts beyond measure. It was the foundation of the Church itself, because from that time on they were "filled with the Holy Ghost." They went out fearlessly and spoke to people, being understood in their own tongues. They went on to convert, to baptize, to suffer, and to die for Christ .  They were new men who would "renew the face of the earth." St. Gregory the Great says," This is the day on which the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles, and changing the hearts of those carnally minded men, led them to the love of Himself. While the tongues of fire appeared externally, the hearts of the disciples were enkindled within, and as they beheld God under the appearance of fire, they became aflame with love together with unspeakable sweetness of soul. For the Holy Ghost is love, and therefore St. John says: 'God is Charity.' Now love is proved by action. St. John says again: 'Do not think, then, that you love Him unless you prove it by good works.' Let your speech, your mind, your whole life be consecrated to the quest for God's love, for in that love inertia has no place."

   The Introit of the Mass for Pentecost:  (OT Book of Wisdom 1:7) The Spirit of the Lord fills the world, alleluia, is all-embracing and knows man's utterance, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Psalm 67:2) God arises; His enemies are scattered, and those who hate Him flee before Him.

   The Epistle is Acts 2: 1-11,"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 blowing, 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.................

   The Gospel, John 14:23-31, recounts Jesus' saying to the disciples, "If anyone love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.........the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your mind whatever I have said to you." In other words, they would finally understand.

Two quotes to end with:

"....The Pasch is the redemption of many by the victory of Christ; Pentecost is the Holy Ghost taking possession of man redeemed."  Dom Prosper Gueranger, O.S.B.

"Now what the soul is to the body of man, the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ, which is the Church. The Holy Spirit does that in the whole Church, which the soul does in all the members of a single body."
St. Augustine.