Pentecost

Restout's "Pentecost"

VEE: On this 'fiftieth day' after Easter we hear in the Gospel about all kinds of exciting, miraculous things and this heavenly fire called the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit moves like eternal flame, never dying out but enlivening the Catholic church and setting souls aflame.  On that first Pentecost we hear of how the disciples could suddenly speak foreign languages thus helping to convert the listeners.  Today we still need the Holy spirit to give us the words, even in our native tongue, to speak on a level that those we are called to help draw closer to Christ will understand.

The Spirit moves where it wishes and no one can escape.  Those who wallow in sin, those who run from God, those who could care less, and those who have no clue.  God desires each of us to be on fire for Him because He loves each of us as if no one else existed and will stop at nothing to capture your heart.  Your lukewarmness will be set aflame because the alternative is as He knows, eternal damnation.  He will come after us til the end of our lives to save us from ourselves and our sins because He longs for us to be with Him.  Only by your not wanting to be with Him in the end  will be the only thing that separates you from God.

DS:  Happy birthday to the Holy Roman Catholic Church!  On this date, the Church baptized thousands at the hands of the apostles.  The Holy Spirit came upon each and every single one of them like a strong burning wind possessing their souls--- these men were never the same again.  One might ask, where is the zeal and the energy of that day?  Do the members of the Church seem to you as sleepy?  Lukewarm?  Wounded?  The last 40 years have been a trying time for our Church, many members do not even know their basic prayers, and their basic beliefs.  It still astounds me when I read statistics showing the percentage of Catholics who do not even know what the Mass is, or believe in the True Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist!   After Vatican II, we went through a dizzying time of re-inventing the wheel and came up with square pegs.  Why does this happen?  I don't know, but I believe its time for us to embrace that first Pentecost and allow the Holy Spirit to set us on fire!  Bl. Pope John Paul II called for a "new springtime" in the Church.  Pope Benedict is doing everything the Holy Spirit is inspiring him to do in order to see us through this new springtime.   I can only offer my own simple solution to the problems:  pray, pray, pray to the Holy Spirit, call upon Him always, and He will not disappoint!  I trust in Him and I have all my confidence that the members of the Church will awaken from their slumbers and propagate the Faith with renewed zeal and love and charisma, to be lights in this dark world and true members of the Body of Christ on earth...