Fifty days have passed since the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus. The Jews also celebrate this day to commemorate the days Moses spent on the mountain receiving the 'Ten Commandments'. God chose this day especially to show that the old celebration is now invalid. This doesn't mean that the Ten Commandments are now not to be followed. They are. But, we are now to believe in the new way; the Christian way and only the Christian way.
The day of Pentecost has arrived. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. I think it's interesting that the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles and the disciples, and all present in the Cenacle in the form of 'Tongues of fire'. This tells me that God meant for the Faith to be passed around by the spoken word. The Spirit did NOT come down in the form of a flaming pencil! Somebody's wrong in this world, and it is not the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church set up by Christ Himself! We do NOT have to know how to read to be saved. Just sayin'.
Anyway, I thought I'd use some of the words of our beloved Abott Gueranger, as he puts it so beautifully. Here goes:
The Jews had their 'Pentecost', representing the days they waited for the Ten Commandments to be presented by Moses to them. 'But their Pentecost was figurative, like their Pasch: there was to be a second Pentecost for all people, as there was to be a second Pasch, for the Redemption of the whole world. The Pasch, with all its triumphant joys, belongs to the Son of God, the Conqueror of death: Pentecost belongs to the Holy Ghost, for it is the day whereon He began His mission into this world, which, henceforward, was to be under His Law.
But how different are the two Pentecosts! The one, on the rugged rocks of Arabia, amidst thunder and lightning, promulgates a Law that is written on tablets of stone; the second is in Jerusalem, on which God's anger has not as yet been manifested, because it still contains within its walls the first fruits of that new people, over whom the Spirit of love is to reign. In this second Pentecost, the heavens are not overcast, nor is the roar of thunder heard; the hearts of men are not stricken with fear, as when God spoke on Sinai; repentance and gratitude are the sentiments now uppermost. A Divine fire burns within their souls, and will spread throughout the whole world. Our Lord Jesus had said: 'I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?' the hour for the fulfillment of this word has come: the Spirit of love, the Holy Ghost, the eternal uncreated Flame, is about to descend from heaven, and realize the merciful design of our Redeemer.'
Our Blessed Mother is also there. She had given birth to the Saviour of the world; so now she is to nurse the new Church, which now has been born. She was left here for us; we should be glad and thankful for her also. If she asks us to do something, we ought to do it. She didn't speak much in Scripture, but when she did, it was well worth listening to. "Do whatever He tells you to do."
More Gueranger:
'...the Father and the Son send upon the earth the Holy Spirit Who proceeds from Them both. He is sent to form the Church, the bride and the kingdom of Christ: He is to assist and maintain her; He is to save and sanctify the souls of men; and this His mission is to continue to the end of time.'
Holy Ghost, God of Light, really and truly in our souls; give us Thy blessed Light, that we may see all things clearly.
Ps. Maybe this day should be moved to Wednesday, you know, to accommodate the 'Novus Ordo' crowd. I mean, they had their 'Ascension' last Sunday, which would be 43 days after the Resurrection! I just can't get it around my head that God has been wrong all these years with the number 40; (the Flood, Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Jews in the desert, Jesus in the desert, etc.). Numbers must mean something to Him! Just sayin' again.
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