Today is my favorite feast day of the year--Pentecost! The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles fills me with great hope. These same men who abandoned Jesus during his passion and death and locked themselves up behind closed doors out of fear were transformed by the resurrection of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are living the faith that they boldly proclaimed to the world.
Each liturgical season has its own appeal and flair. We frequently look at the 40 days of Lent as preparation for Easter. The Easter season is celebrated for 50 days and eventually culminates with the celebration of Pentecost. Is it okay if I look at the 50 days of Easter as the preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost?
The liturgical color shifts from white to red today. It is my hope that your church environment is decorated exquisitely for this celebration. I have mentioned this before, but I found it to be true again this year. The flower budget was used up at Easter Sunday and the environment of the sanctuary returned to a bare minimum within a couple of weeks after Easter as the flowers withered and died. It is my prayer that flowers reappear for today's solemn celebration.
Pentecost is the one celebration we have which focuses solely on the Third Person of the Trinity. It is important that we do not miss it. It is vital that we are living our lives in union with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. How do we make decisions on a daily basis? Do we entrust our needs and our cares to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit?
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you." (Acts 1:8) The promise of Pentecost is summed up in that one phrase. The question for each of us is a simple one. Do we believe it? Have we witnessed the power of the Spirit moving in our individual lives? If not, why not? If you are struggling in this area I encourage you to get a good book on the Holy Spirit that is in line with Catholic theology.
Do you believe that you can do the works that Jesus did when he was walking upon the earth? Since Jesus returned to the Father and promised the Advocate for us, we can certainly share in the power of Christ. I invite you to spend some time today reflecting upon three verses of the Bible. Read, study, reflect, and pray from John's Gospel chapter 14 verses 12, 13, and 14. Let the gifts of the Holy Spirit be released within you. Walk in faith. Walk in grace. Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Each liturgical season has its own appeal and flair. We frequently look at the 40 days of Lent as preparation for Easter. The Easter season is celebrated for 50 days and eventually culminates with the celebration of Pentecost. Is it okay if I look at the 50 days of Easter as the preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost?
The liturgical color shifts from white to red today. It is my hope that your church environment is decorated exquisitely for this celebration. I have mentioned this before, but I found it to be true again this year. The flower budget was used up at Easter Sunday and the environment of the sanctuary returned to a bare minimum within a couple of weeks after Easter as the flowers withered and died. It is my prayer that flowers reappear for today's solemn celebration.
Pentecost is the one celebration we have which focuses solely on the Third Person of the Trinity. It is important that we do not miss it. It is vital that we are living our lives in union with the promptings of the Holy Spirit. How do we make decisions on a daily basis? Do we entrust our needs and our cares to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit?
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you." (Acts 1:8) The promise of Pentecost is summed up in that one phrase. The question for each of us is a simple one. Do we believe it? Have we witnessed the power of the Spirit moving in our individual lives? If not, why not? If you are struggling in this area I encourage you to get a good book on the Holy Spirit that is in line with Catholic theology.
Do you believe that you can do the works that Jesus did when he was walking upon the earth? Since Jesus returned to the Father and promised the Advocate for us, we can certainly share in the power of Christ. I invite you to spend some time today reflecting upon three verses of the Bible. Read, study, reflect, and pray from John's Gospel chapter 14 verses 12, 13, and 14. Let the gifts of the Holy Spirit be released within you. Walk in faith. Walk in grace. Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit!
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