“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Acts
2:3-4
This is a reflection I submitted to my Lay Carmelite Community for the Feast of Pentecost: Today we celebrate the feast of
Pentecost, considered the birthday of the Church. It’s when Holy Spirit
descended upon the Apostles and they were filled with the power of the Holy
Spirit to go and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world. It is
through the Holy Spirit that these men, once afraid to go beyond the upper room
for fear of the Jews, were able to go in the whole world and proclaim Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior.
Each one of us, at the time of our
confirmations, received the same Holy Spirit that the Apostles did. We, too,
are called to go and proclaim our faith to others with the same courage the
Apostles did on that first Pentecost. Through our Lay Carmelite community,
through our families, and through the people we encounter, either at work or
our day-to-day activity, we are called to share our faith in Jesus Christ and to
bring others into relationship with Christ in His Holy Catholic Church.
In the gospel of John chapter 20, vs 21,
we hear Jesus say, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Jesus is
sending each one of us into the world to bring others to knowledge of His love
for all, and that salvation comes through faith in Him and His Catholic
Church.
Let us continue to bring Jesus to all we
meet in our lives and pray for those who may find it hard to embrace this faith
we love so much.
Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteThank GOD for sending His Holy Spirit upon the apostles & giving His Holy Spirit to the Church to remain with us in the Church FOREVER!
Thank GOD that we receive the Holy Spirit initially in the Sacrament of Baptism & then in the Sacrament of Confirmation & for the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit--wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety & fear (reverence & awe) of the LORD, the various ministry gifts given as the Spirit wills to individuals for the benefit of the Church, & the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, generosity & self-control) to help us grow in holiness & become more like JESUS.
Thank GOD for the gift of the Charismatic Renewal to awaken us & heighten our awareness of the Holy Spirit (regardless of whether or not we actually join the Charismatic Renewal, since involvement in the Renewal is not for everyone, but the Holy Spirit is for the whole Church) & help us to be more open to receive & utilize these gifts & fruit for our spiritual growth & to help us to serve one another & serve the Church & engage in the Church's mission, especially the mission of evangelization.