Saturday, June 11, 2011

Come, Holy Ghost!


Today is the day which God hast made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!
Pentecost is finally here. The Apostles have waited ten days since they saw Jesus ascend into heaven, followed by scores of holy souls that had been waiting for this day for eons. Now, they will transform into people unlike anyone that has ever been seen. The Jews have their own pentecost, in which they rejoice since travelling through the sea, wandering in the desert for 50 days, to be given the Ten Commandments. This Pentecost, however, will not be sober, but happiness will abide. They will receive the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire. The new Church is to be spread by teaching. Therefore, the tongue will be needed to achieve this. Tongues of fire will set their own tongues on fire for the love of God!
This fire, as the holy Church says, "burns not but enlightens, consumes not but shines".

Those in attendance will hear them speaking in their own language. This is what I think this gift is, to speak in your own tongue and others will hear in theirs. However, they very well could have understood other languages as well.
Think of it, Mary is also there. Now, she had already received the Holy Ghost; in her Immaculate Conception, as well as at the Annunciation. However, this time is different. She also receives the tongue of fire, in order to help teach the fledgling Church. She gladly accepts her new assignment. It must have been AWESOME!!!!!

Let me close with a sequence composed by Adam of St. Victor about the mystery of Pentecost:

'O Divine Paraclete, who proceedest equally from the Father and the Son! with thy glowing fire, give eloquence to our tongues, and make our hearts fervent in their love for thee.
Love of the Father and the Son! equal and coequal with them in essence! thou fillest and fosterest all things: and though in thyself immovable, thou governest the stars, and givest motion to the heavens.
Light most dear and bright! thou puttest to flight the gloom of our soul's darkness. "Tis thou that purifiest the pure, and takest away sin and its rust.
Thou teachest us the truth; thou showest us the way of peace and the path of justice. Thou shunnest the hearts of perverse sinners; thou enrichest the hearts of the good with the gift of knowledge.
With thee as teacher, there is no obscurity; when thou art present, there is no impurity. The soul that possesses thee, is cheerful; and her conscience is joyful and pure.
Thou changest the elements; by thee have the Sacraments their efficacy: thou drivest away all evil power: thou bringest to nought the wickedness of our enemies.
When thou comest to us, our hearts are soothed; when thou enterest, dark clouds are put to flight. O sacred Fire! when thou visitest us, thou inflamest our souls; not burning them, but purging them from the dross of care.
Thou givest wisdom and fervor to souls that once were ignorant and drowsy and heedless. Thou inspirest the tongue, thou formest its speech; and the charity thou givest, makes the heart prompt to all that is good.
O helper of them that are heavily laden! O Comforter of the afflicted! O refuge of the poor! Give us a contempt for earthly things, and draw our affections to the love of what is heavenly.
Consoler and Creator, and guest, and lover of humble souls! Drive all evil from us, cleanse our sins, bring concord where now is discord, and support us by thy protection.
O thou that heretofore didst visit, teach, and strengthen the timid disciples, deign to visit us; vouchsafe to console us and the faithful throughout the world.
Equal is the majesty, equal the power, and one the divinity, of the Three Persons. Thou proceedest from the Father and the Son, and art coequal in all things with them.
Being, therefore, infinite in all perfections as is the Father, accept from us thy poor servants the praise that is due to thee, equally with the Father and the Son. Amen.'

COME, HOLY GHOST!

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