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And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving
wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there
appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest
on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them
to proclaim. Acts 2:2–4
Happy birthday! Today, as we celebrate the coming of the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost, we also celebrate the birth of the Church.
Thus, today is a celebration of your membership in the life of the
Church. As a human institution, the Church has always suffered on
account of the sins of Her members. This sad truth is something
that we are increasingly aware of today. But the Church itself is
the Spotless Bride of Christ. It is the Body of Christ on earth, in
Heaven and in Purgatory. Those of us on earth are members of the
Church Militant. Those in Heaven are members of the Church
Triumphant. And those in Purgatory are members of the Church
Suffering. But all of us are united under Christ our Head as
members of His holy Body, the Church. We profess our faith in the
Church every Sunday.
We profess that we believe in “one, holy, catholic and apostolic
Church.” What exactly does this mean? First, it means that by the
power and working of the Holy Spirit, those who profess faith in
Christ are united as “one.” This oneness is a spiritual union that
will endure for eternity. It is unbreakable and restores us to the
life we were created to live. That is, a life of union with God and
others, a communion of humanity with God.
As one family, the Church is also “holy.” Holiness is another way
of saying that we are made whole by the blood of Christ, sharing in
His redemption. By His mercy, our sins are forgiven and we become
children of the Father in Heaven, sharing the eternal life of the
Son.
The word “catholic” refers to the truth that the offer of salvation
is given to all. It is a universal calling given to all people who
will accept this gift. God did not come to save only a few but all,
and many will accept this gift of salvation.
We are “apostolic,” in that God chose to establish His Church
through the mediation of His Apostles. They were uniquely called to
become instruments by which the saving Truth is proclaimed and the
grace won by the Cross is distributed. The work of the Apostles
continues today through their successors, the bishops, and those
who are co-workers with the bishops, the priests. Sinful though
they may be, God uses them, nonetheless, to bestow His grace and
truth upon the world.
As a member of the one Body of Christ, you are also invited by God
to enlarge His family through the sharing of the Gospel and by your
life of deep prayer. You are called and sent, and this takes place
by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we especially celebrate
today.
Reflect, today, upon the incredible privilege it is to be invited
to be a member of the Family of God, the Church. And reflect, also,
upon the important duty you have to extend that invitation to
others. Pray to the Holy Spirit, asking for an increase in His
seven-fold gifts in your life so that You can help share the saving
message of the Gospel to those whom God wants to reach through
you.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in
them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall
be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, Who
by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the
faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit Fear of the Lord: With
this gift the Christian becomes keenly aware of anything that may
hurt his/her relationship with God. There is a holy “fear” of
hurting this relationship, and grace is given to avoid these things
at all cost.
Wisdom: With this gift the Christian is given a special
grace to “ponder divine realities” in his/her speculative
reason. We are able to see the big picture and know how best
to be an instrument of peace and harmony in our world.
Understanding: This is the ability to have a supernatural
assurance of the matters of faith. Life makes sense. We
can make sense of the deeper parts of revelation, make sense of
suffering and understand those things that tempt us to doubt.
With this gift we come to see how everything in life can work for
good in accordance with God’s plan.
Knowledge: With this gift the Christian knows, more in
the practical intellect, what God’s will is in this or that
situation. We know how to live, how to discern God’s will and
what decision to make in our daily life. It also enables us
to learn from our past mistakes.
Counsel: With this gift the Christian sees him/herself
as a link in a chain which makes up the entire Church. God
uses each one of us to help and support one another on our
journey. We know what to say and how to act so as to do our
part to build up one another.
Fortitude: Simply put, it is a firmness of mind and spirit
to do good and avoid evil. It’s a sort of Christian
courage. The Gospel will call all of us to a radical life of
love. Fortitude gives us the strength we need to follow
through.
Piety: This gift enables us to first reverence and
love God, but also to see the dignity of one another and reverence
each other as children of God.
Image: Juan Bautista Maíno, Public domain, via Wikimedia
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