Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 05-30-04, Pentecost Sunday

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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From: Acts 2:1-11

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

[1] When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one
place. [2] And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
[3] And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and
resting on each one of them. [4] And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance.

[5] Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every
nation under heaven. [6] And at this sound the multitude came together,
and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his
own language. [7] And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not
all these who are speaking Galileans? [8] And how is it that we hear,
each of us in his own native language? [9] Parthians and Medes and
Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus
and Asia, [10] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya
belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
[11] Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the
mighty works of God."

Commentary:

1-13. This account of the Holy Spirit visibly coming down on the
disciples who, in keeping with Jesus' instructions, had stayed together
in Jerusalem, gives limited information as to the time and place of the
event, yet it is full of content. Pentecost was one of the three great
Jewish feasts for which many Israelites went on pilgrimage to the Holy
City to worship God in the temple. It originated as a harvest
thanksgiving, with an offering of first-fruits. Later it was given the
additional dimension of commemorating the promulgation of the Law given
by God to Moses on Sinai. The Pentecost celebration was held fifty days
after the Passover, that is, after seven weeks had passed. The material
harvest which the Jews celebrated so joyously became, through God's
providence, the symbol of the spiritual harvest which the Apostles
began to reap on this day.

2-3. Wind and fire were elements which typically accompanied
manifestations of God in the Old Testament (cf. Ex 3:2; l 3 :21-22; 2
Kings 5:24; Ps 104:3). In this instance, as Chrysostom explains, it
would seem that separate tongues of fire came down on each of them:
they were "separated, which means they came from one and the same
source, to show that the Power all comes from the Paraclete" ("Hom. on
Acts", 4). The wind and the noise must have been so intense that they
caused people to flock to the place. The fire symbolizes the action of
the Holy Spirit who, by enlightening the minds of the disciples,
enables them to understand Jesus' teachings--as Jesus promised at the
Last Supper (cf. Jn 16:4-14); by inflaming their hearts with love he
dispels their fear and moves them to preach boldly. Fire also has a
purifying effect, God's action cleansing the soul of all trace of sin.

4. Pentecost was not an isolated event in the life of the Church,
something over and done with. "We have the right, the duty and the joy
to tell you that Pentecost is still happening. We can legitimately
speak of the 'lasting value' of Pentecost. We know that fifty days
after Easter, the Apostles, gathered together in the same Cenacle as
had been used for the first Eucharist and from which they had gone out
to meet the Risen One for the first time, "discover" in themselves the
power of the Holy Spirit who descended upon them, the strength of Him
whom the Lord had promised so often as the outcome of his suffering on
the Cross; and strengthened in this way, they began to act, that is, to
perform their role. [. . .] Thus is born the "apostolic Church". But
even today--and herein the continuity lies--the Basilica of St Peter in
Rome and every Temple, every Oratory, every place where the disciples
of the Lord gather, is an extension of that original Cenacle" (John
Paul II, "Homily", 25 May 1980).

Vatican II (cf. Ad gentes, 4) quotes St Augustine's description of the
Holy Spirit as the soul, the source of life, of the Church, which was
born on the Cross on Good Friday and whose birth was announced publicly
on the day of Pentecost: "Today, as you know, the Church was fully
born, through the breath of Christ, the Holy Spirit; and in the Church
was born the Word, the witness to and promulgation of salvation in the
risen Jesus; and in him who listens to this promulgation is born faith,
and with faith a new life, an awareness of the Christian vocation and
the ability to hear that calling and to follow it by living a genuinely
human life, indeed a life which is not only human but holy. And to make
this divine intervention effective, today was born the apostolate, the
priesthood, the ministry of the Spirit, the calling to unity,
fraternity and peace" (Paul VI, "Address", 25 May 1969).

"Mary, who conceived Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit, the Love of
the living God, presides over the birth of the Church, on the day of
Pentecost, when the same Holy Spirit comes down on the disciples and
gives life to the mystical body of Christians in unity and charity"
(Paul VI, "Address", 25 October 1969).

5-11. In his account of the events of Pentecost St Luke distinguishes
"devout men" (v. 5), Jews and proselytes (v. 11). The first-mentioned
were people who were residing in Jerusalem for reasons of study or
piety, to be near the only temple the Jews had. They were Jews--not to
be confused with "God-fearing men", that is, pagans sympathetic to
Judaism, who worshipped the God of the Bible and who, if they became
converts and members of the Jewish religion by being circumcised and
by observing the Mosaic Law, were what were called "proselytes", whom
Luke distinguishes from the "Jews", that is, those of Jewish race.

People of different races and tongues understand Peter, each in his or
her own language. They can do so thanks to a special grace from the
Holy Spirit given them for the occasion; this is not the same as the
gift of "speaking with tongues" which some of the early Christians had
(cf. 1 Cor 14), which allowed them to praise God and speak to him in a
language which they themselves did not understand.

11. When the Fathers of the Church comment on this passage they
frequently point to the contrast between the confusion of languages
that came about at Babel (cf. Gen 11:1-9)--God's punishment for man's
pride and infidelity--and the reversal of this confusion on the day of
Pentecost, thanks to the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Second Vatican
Council stresses the same idea: "Without doubt, the Holy Spirit was at
work in the world before Christ was glorified. On the day of Pentecost,
however, he came down on the disciples that he might remain with them
forever (cf. Jn 14;16); on that day the Church was openly displayed to
the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through
preaching, was begun. Finally, on that day was foreshadowed the union
of all peoples in the catholicity of the faith by means of the Church
of the New Alliance, a Church which speaks every language, understands
and embraces all tongues in charity, and thus overcomes the dispersion
of Babel" ("Ad Gentes", 4).

Christians need this gift for their apostolic activity and should ask
the Holy Spirit to give it to them to help them express themselves in
such a way that others can understand their message; to be able so to
adapt what they say to suit the outlook and capacity of their hearers,
that they pass Christ's truth on: "Every generation of Christians needs
to redeem, to sanctify, its own time. To do this, it must understand
and share the desires of other men--their equals--in order to make
known to them, with a 'gift of tongues', how they are to respond to the
action of the Holy Spirit, to that permanent outflow of rich treasures
that comes from our Lord's heart. We Christians are called upon to
announce, in our own time, to this world to which we belong and in
which we live, the message--old and at the same time new--of the
Gospel" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 132).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13

Kinds of Spiritual Gifts

[3b] No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

[4] Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; [5] and
there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; [6] and there are
varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in
every one. [7] To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the
common good.

Unity and Variety in the Mystical Body of Christ

[12] For just as the body is one and has many member, and all the
members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
[13] For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or
Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Commentary:

3. This provides a general principle for discerning signs of the Holy
Spirit--recognition of Christ as Lord. It follows that the gifts of
the Holy Spirit can never go against the teaching of the Church. "Those
who have charge over the Church should judge the genuineness and proper
use of these gifts [...], not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to
test all things and hold fast to what is good (cf. Thess 5:12 and
19-21)" ("Lumen Gentium", 12).

4-7. God is the origin of spiritual gifts. Probably when St Paul speaks
of gifts, service (ministries), "varieties of working", he is not
referring to graces which are essentially distinct from one another,
but to different perspectives from which these gifts can be viewed, and
to their attribution to the Three Divine Persons. Insofar as they are
gratuitously bestowed they are attributed to the Holy Spirit, as he
confirms in v. 11; insofar as they are granted for the benefit and
service of the other members of the Church, they are attributed to
Christ the Lord, who came "not to be served but to serve" (Mk 10:45);
and insofar as they are operative and produce a good effect, they are
attributed to God the Father. In this way the various graces which the
members of the Church receive are a living reflection of God who, being
essentially one, in so is a trinity of persons. "The whole Church has
the appearance of a people gathered together by virtue of the unity of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (St Cyprian, "De
Dominica Oratione", 23). Therefore, diversity of gifts and graces is as
important as their basic unity, because all have the same divine origin
and the same purpose--the common good (v. 7): "It is the Holy Spirit,
dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire
Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and
joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of
the Church's unity. By distributing various kinds of spiritual gifts
and ministries he enriches the Church of Jesus Christ with different
functions 'in order to equip the saints for the work of service, so as
to build up the body of Christ' (Eph 4:12)" (Vatican II, Unitatis
Redintegratio", 2).

12-13. In Greek and Latin literature, society is often compared to a
body; even today we talk of "corporations", a term which conveys the
idea that all the citizens of a particular city are responsible for the
common good. St Paul, starting with this metaphor, adds two important
features: 1) he identifies the Church with Christ: "so it is with
Christ" (v. 12); and 2) he says that the Holy Spirit is its
life-principle: "by one Spirit we were all baptized..., and all made to
drink of the Spirit" (v. 13). The Magisterium summarizes this teaching
by defining the Church as the "mystical body of Christ", an expression
which "is derived from and is, as it were, the fair flower of the
repeated teaching of Sacred Scripture and the holy Fathers" (Pius XII,
"Mystici Corporis").

"So it is with Christ": "One would have expected him to say, so it is
with the Church, but he does not say that [...]. For, just as the body
and the head are one man, so too Christ and the Church are one, and
therefore instead of 'the Church' he says 'Christ"' (Chrysostom, "Hom.
on 1 Cor", 30, "ad loc".). This identifiction of the Church with Christ
is much more then a mere metaphor; it makes the Church a society which
is radically different from any other society: "The complete Christ is
made up of the head and the body, as I am sure you know well. The head
is our Savior himself, who suffered under Pontius Pilate and now, after
rising from the dead, is seated at the right hand of the Father. And
his body is the Church. Not this or that church, but the Church which
is to be found all over the world. Nor is it only that which exists
among us today, for also belonging to it are those who lived before us
and those who will live in the future, right up to the end of the
world. All this Church, made up of the assembly of the faithful--for
all the faithful are members of Christ--has Christ as its head,
governing his body from heaven. And although this head is located out
of sight of the body, he is, however, joined to it by love" (St
Augustine, "Enarrationes in Psalmos", 56, 1).

The Church's remarkable unity derives from the Holy Spirit who not only
assembles the faithful into a society but also imbues and vivifies its
members, exercising the same function as the soul does in a physical
body: "In order that we might be unceasingly renewed in him (cf. Eph
4:23), he has shared with us his Spirit who, being one and the same in
head and members, gives life to, unifies and moves the whole body.
Consequently, his work could be compared by the Fathers to the function
that the principle of life, the soul, fulfils in the human body"
(Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 7).

"All were made to drink of one Spirit": given that the Apostle says
this immediately after mentioning Baptism, he seems to be referring to
a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit, possibly in the sacrament of
Confirmation. It is not uncommon for Sacred Scripture to compare the
outpouring of the Spirit to drink, indicating that the effects of his
presence are to revive the parched soul; in the Old Testament the
coming of the Holy Spirit is already compared to dew, rain, etc.; and
St. John repeats what our Lord said about "living water" (Jn 7:38; cf.
4:13-14).

Together with the sacraments of Christian initiation, the Eucharist
plays a special role in building up the unity of the body of Christ.
"Really sharing in the body of the Lord in the breaking of the
eucharistic bread, we are taken up into communion with him and with one
another. 'Because the bread is one, we, who are many, are one body,
for we all partake of one bread' (1 Cor 10:17). In this way all of us
are made members of his body (cf. 1 Cor 12;27), 'and individual members
of one another' (Rom 12:5)" ("Lumen Gentium", 7).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Pentecost: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

FEAST OF THE DAY

Pentecost Sunday is a feast that supercedes the normal saint of the
day. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church and is the remembrance
of the historical day when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles in
the form of tongues of fire. When the flames of the Holy Spirit lit upon
the Apostles, they received the gifts and fruits of the Spirit and were
filled with zeal for preaching the word of God.

The Apostles, who only a short time before had been fearful to speak
the truth, now went out excitedly, and filled with passion into
Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside and proclaimed the
Good News without any shame or reservation. A specific gift of the
Spirit that they received was the gift of the ability to speak in
tongues. When they preached, each of their listeners heard what
was being said in their own native language. After this event, the
Church began to flourish, and multitudes of believers joined the
Apostles as disciples to Christianity; the practicing of the lessons and
examples found in Jesus Christ's life.

The Easter season concludes on Pentecost Sunday after Evening
Prayer.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled they were all in one place
together. 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.

TODAY IN HISTORY

TODAY'S TIDBIT

At Evening Prayer tonight, Ordinary Time resumes. It will continue
to be ordinary time until Advent begins. During ordinary time, the
Marian antiphon at the end of Night Prayer is the Salve Regina and
the Angelus replaces the Regina Coeli, which was used during
Easter.

INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray that the Holy Spirit may inspire each person to a deeper
love and greater zeal for their faith.

Sunday, May 30, 2004
(Ninth Week in Ordinary Time) Pentecost Sunday (Solemnity)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Second Reading:
Gospel:

Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34
Romans 8:8-17
John 20:19-23

If He who was without sin prayed, how much more ought sinners to pray?

-- St. Cyprian

**If He who was without sin prayed, how much more ought sinners to pray?

-- St. Cyprian**

What a fantastic quote!

The Word Among Us

Sunday, May 30, 2004

Meditation
John 20:19-23

Pentecost

On this great day of celebration, we are brought back to the upper room to be with the disciples when they first met the risen Jesus. John tells us that when Jesus came to them, he showed them his hands and side, and that this is what caused the disciples to rejoice (John 20:20). There was something about seeing Jesus’ wounds—now glorified—that pierced their hearts.

We don’t have to look too hard to identify the work of the Holy Spirit here. It was the Spirit who showed the disciples that Jesus didn’t just come back from the dead but that he had defeated death and had been declared Lord of heaven and earth. And this revelation filled them with joy and excitement. By the Spirit, they realized that because of Jesus’ wounds, they too could be filled with divine life, just as Jesus their Master was.

This is the kind of revelation that the Holy Spirit wants to give all of us. This is what Pentecost is all about. Whenever we pray, whenever we go to Mass, the Spirit wants to reveal Jesus to us in an exciting and ever-deepening way. He wants to break down the walls in our hearts that keep us trapped in a narrow, shallow understanding of Jesus and his plan for us. And he does this so that he can form us into a people so on fire with love for him that we would risk anything for him.

We don’t have to fear the Holy Spirit. He may come in fire, but only to burn away the things that keep us from seeing Jesus. We can carry so much “baggage” in our hearts—fears, anxieties, and resentments that keep us from Jesus. By the power of Jesus’ cross, the Holy Spirit wants to lighten our load so that we can embrace Jesus as our just and loving Savior who wants the very best for us.

“Jesus, I want to be aflame with love for you. I want to rejoice in you just as the apostles did. Holy Spirit, burn away everything that keeps me from your presence. Come, Spirit, and give me a new revelation of Jesus.”

One Bread, One Body

All Issues > Volume 20, Number 3

<< Sunday, May 30, 2004 >>

Pentecost

Acts 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13

Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34
John 20:19-23

View Readings

WOULD YOU DIE FOR PENTECOST?

“When the day of Pentecost came it found them gathered in one place.” —Acts 2:1

Father Otto Rauschenbach, a Maryknoll missionary in South China, was killed by bandits on May 14, 1945. Because of the war, Father Otto had to hide in the mountains. He knew that if he came out of hiding, he was risking his life. Yet Father wanted to celebrate Pentecost with his people so he tried to return to his parish (cf Lk 22:15). However, he was murdered before he got to his parish and before he could celebrate Pentecost Mass.

Would you risk your life to celebrate Pentecost? Do you believe that a new Pentecost is so essential for your life that it is worth dying for? Pentecost is essential because, without the Holy Spirit of Pentecost, we:

will not be united (see Gn 11:7ff; Acts 2:8ff) and the world will not believe in Jesus (Jn 17:21),
will not prophesy, that is, we will not receive messages from God (Jl 3:1; Acts 2:17-18),
will not pray as we ought (Rm 8:26),
will not have the power to witness for Jesus (Acts 1:8),
cannot say: “Jesus is Lord” (1 Cor 12:3) and therefore cannot be saved (Rm 10:9),
cannot please God (Rm 8:8), and
will not have the Spirit’s gifts or fruit (1 Cor 12:4ff; Gal 5:22ff).

We need Pentecost and we need a new Pentecost now. “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:22).

Prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from Your celestial home shed a ray of light divine! Come, Father of the poor! Come, Source of all our store! Come, within our bosoms shine!” (Pentecost sequence)

Promise: “All of us have been given to drink of the one Spirit.” —1 Cor 12:13

Praise: Praise the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, our Hope!

HELP needed with this passage from the Gospel:

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Can someone more knowledgeable than I explain how this passage was establishing the church, the sacrament of Penance, or the priesthood? Am I mistaken, somehow I thought that was part of the meaning? But last night some new-age, gung-ho visiting priest at our parish twisted this all around to a pop-psychology thing about how we need to forgive everyone so we can feel good, how we only "bind ourselves" with bitterness if we hold grudges, etc. While what he said is valid from a therapy sort of viewpoint, and a helpful idea popularized by writers like Frederic Luskin, Jampolsky and others, it's not the correct doctrinal interpretation of those words of Christ.

This is not merely a reading from one of the epistles, but the Gospel, and while I am too ignorant of the details, somehow I have it in the dim recesses of memory that this passage, these words of Christ, has a very specific meaning in the history and tradition of the church.

If someone can spell that out for me, I can then take it to this priest, in a polite, helpful way of course! There were several other "liturgical abuses" during this Mass, so you can see why I want to try to help point this very enthusiastic but perhaps mistaken priest in the right direction. Thanks.

Then said He unto them again, Peace be unto you." Reiteration is confirmation; for He Himself gives by the prophet a promised peace upon peace. "As the Father hath sent me," He adds, "even so send I you." We know the Son to be equal to the Father; but here we recognize the words of the Mediator. For He exhibits Himself as occupying a middle position when He says, He me, and I you. "And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." By breathing on them He signified that the Holy Spirit was the Spirit, not of the Father alone, but likewise His own. "Whose so-ever sins," He continues, "ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever ye retain, they are retained." The Church's love, which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, discharges the sins of all who are partakers with itself, but retains the sins of those who have no participation therein. Therefore it is, that after saying "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," He straightway added this regarding the remission and retention of sins. (St. Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John, 121)

Ver. 21. "As My Father hath sent Me, so send I you."
"Ye have no difficulty, owing to what hath already come to pass, and to the dignity of Me who send you." Here He lifteth up their souls, and showeth them their great cause of confidence, if so be that they were about to undertake His work. And no longer is an appeal made to the Father, but with authority He giveth to them the power. For, Ver. 22, 23. "He breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained."
As a king sending forth governors, gives power to east into prison and to deliver from it, so in sending these forth, Christ investeth them with the same power. But how saith He, "If I go not away, He will not come" (c. xvi. 7), and yet giveth them the Spirit? Some say that He gave not the Spirit, but rendered them fit to receive It, by breathing on them. For if Daniel when he saw an Angel was afraid, what would not they have suffered when they received that unspeakable Gift, unless He had first made them learners? Wherefore He said not, "Ye have received the Holy Ghost," but, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Yet one will not be wrong in asserting that they then also received some spiritual power and grace; not so as to raise the dead, or to work miracles, but so as to remit sins. For the gifts of the Spirit are of different kinds; wherefore He added, "Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them," showing what kind of power He was giving. But in the other case, after forty days, they received the power of working miracles. Wherefore He saith, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea." (Acts i. 8.) And witnesses they became by means of miracles, for unspeakable is the grace of the Spirit and multiform the gift. But this comes to pass, that thou mayest learn that the gift and the power of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, is One. For things which appear to be peculiar to the Father, these are seen also to belong to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. "How then," saith some one, "doth none come to the Son, 'except the Father draw him'?" (c. vi. 44.) Why, this very thing is shown to belong to the Son also. "I," He saith, "am the Way: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." (c. xiv. 6.) And observe that it belongeth to the Spirit also; for "No man can call Jesus Christ Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Cor. xii. 3.) Again, we see that the Apostles were given to the Church at one time by the Father, at another by the Son, at another by the Holy Ghost, and that the "diversities of gifts" (1 Cor. xii. 4) belong to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
4. Let us then do all we can to have the Holy Spirit with ourselves, and let us treat with much honor those into whose hands its operation hath been committed. For great is the dignity of the priests. "Whosesoever sins," it saith, "ye remit, they are remitted unto them"; wherefore also Paul saith, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves." (Heb. xiii. 17.) And hold them very exceedingly in honor; for thou indeed carest about thine own affairs, and if thou orderest them well, thou givest no account for others, but the priest even if he rightly order his own life, if he have not an anxious care for thine, yea and that of all those around him, will depart with the wicked into hell; and often when not betrayed by his own conduct, he perishes by yours, if he have not rightly performed all his part. Knowing therefore the greatness of the danger, give them a large share of your goodwill; which Paul also implied when he said, "For they watch for your souls," and not simply so, but, "as they that shall give account." (Heb. xiii. 17.) They ought therefore to receive great attention from you; but if you join with the rest in trampling upon them, then neither shall your affairs be in a good condition. For while the steersman continues in good courage, the crew also will be in safety; but if he be tired out by their reviling him and showing ill-will against him, he cannot watch equally well, or retain his skill, and without intending it, throws them into ten thousand mischiefs. And so too the priest, if he enjoy honor from you, will be able well to order your affairs; but if ye throw them into despondency, ye weaken their hands, and render them, as well as yourselves, an easy prey to the waves, although they be very courageous. Consider what Christ saith concerning the Jews. "The Scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; all therefore whatsoever they bid you to do, do ye." (Matt. xxiii. 2, 3.) Now we have not to say, "the priests sit on Moses' seat," but "on that of Christ"; for they have successively received His doctrine. Wherefore also Paul saith, "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us." (2 Cor. v. 20.) See ye not that in the case of Gentile rulers, all bow to them, and oftentimes even persons superior in family, in life, in intelligence, to those who judge them? yet still because of him who hath given them, they consider none of these things, but respect the decision of their governor, whosoever he be that receives the rule over them. Is there then such fear when man appoints, but when God appointeth do we despise him who is appointed, and abuse him, and besmirch him with ten thousand reproaches, and though forbidden to judge our brethren, do we sharpen our tongue against our priests? And how can this deserve excuse, when we see not the beam in our own eye, but are bitterly over-curious about the mote in another's? Knowest thou not that by so judging thou makest thine own judgment the harder? And this I say not as approving of those who exercise their priesthood unworthily, but as greatly pitying and weeping for them; yet do I not on this account allow that it is right that they should be judged by those over whom they are set. And although their life be very much spoken against, thou, if thou take heed to thyself, wilt not be harmed at all in respect of the things committed to them by God. For if He caused a voice to be uttered by an ass, and bestowed spiritual blessings by a diviner, working by the foolish mouth and impure tongue of Balsam, in behalf of the offending Jews, much more for the sake of you the right-minded will He, though the priests be exceedingly vile, work all the things that are His, and will send the Holy Ghost. For neither doth the pure draw down that Spirit by his own purity, but it is grace that worketh all. "For all," it saith, "is for your sake, whether it be Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas." (1 Cor. iii. 25, 23.) For the things which are placed in the hands of the priest it is with God alone to give; and however far human wisdom may reach, it will appear inferior to that grace. And this I say, not in order that we may order our own life carelessly, but that when some of those set over you are careless livers, you the ruled may not often heap up evil for yourselves. But why speak I of priests? Neither Angel nor Archangel can do anything with regard to what is given from God; but the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, dispenseth all, while the priest lends his tongue and affords his hand. For neither would it be just that through the wickedness of another, those who come in faith to the symbols of their salvation should be harmed. Knowing all these things, let us fear God, and hold His priests in honor, paying them all reverence; that both for our own good deeds, and the attention shown to them, we may receive a great return from God, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and world without end. Amen. (St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John, 86)

ut the Lord then principally instituted the sacrament of penance, when, being raised from the dead, He breathed upon His disciples, saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. By which action so signal, and words so clear, the consent of all the Fathers has ever understood, that the power of forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the apostles and their lawful successors, for the reconciling of the faithful who have fallen after baptism. And the Catholic Church with great reason repudiated and condemned as heretics, the Novatians, who of old obstinately denied that power of forgiving. Wherefore, this holy Synod, approving of and re ceiving as most true this meaning of those words of our Lord, condemns the fanciful interpretations of those who, in opposition to the institution of this sacrament, falsely wrest those words to the power of preaching the word of God, and of announcing the Gospel of Christ. (Council of Trent, Decree on the Sacrament of Penance, cap. 1)

Wow, that about covers it! Thanks so much!

What is your source on that commentary?

The Blessed Season of Easter - Fifty Days of Reflections

Read the last two entries for today's reflections.

Jesus Sends the Holy Spirit to Us at Pentecost

John 16:1-15; Acts 1:1-4, 14; 2:1-47
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1-4: The Jewish Pentecost
In Jewish liturgy Pentecost was the feast that celebrated the giving of the covenant at Sinai. It recalled both God’s covenant with Israel as well as the giving of the Ten Commandments. A mighty wind and fire swept the slopes of Sinai evoking the awesomeness of the occasion. The wind represented the breath of God as the source of all life. The fire symbolized God’s glory that manifested his presence to his people. The Jewish Pentecost took place fifty days after Passover.

The Christian Pentecost
Fifty days after the Christian Passover (Christ’s death and resurrection) the Christian Pentecost occurred in the Upper Room. Led by Mary, the apostles and disciples, numbering 120 people, had completed nine days of prayer for the coming of the Spirit. The Upper Room became like a new Sinai. Once again the mighty breath of God and the fire of his presence swept through the communion of believers. The Holy Spirit confirmed them as the Christian community and manifested the Church. The Spirit filled them with enthusiasm, a term that means “the God within.”

They began speaking in tongues (glossalalia) a language phenomenon that sometimes accompanies profound spiritual experiences. Armed with the fire of the Spirit, and with ecstatic speech on their lips, they flowed out of the Upper Room into the square below where pilgrims from over fifteen nations had assembled for the religious observance.

The extraordinary joy of those who had just been filled with the Holy Spirit affected the pilgrims. In wonder, the crowd vibrated happily with the contagious enthusiasm and excitement of the Spirit-filled community. They identified with the language miracle. There was a fleeting moment when these representatives of the nations of the earth paused from their strife and profound community took place.

The artists of the Middle Ages loved to contrast the babbling and divided mob of Babel ’s Tower to the loving, linguistically united community in the square at Pentecost. The arrogance of Babel is replaced by the humility of Pentecost where God is all in all.
After the first glow of unity subsided, the skeptical soul reappeared. “And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine’”(Acts 2:12 -13)….

Reflection
The Pentecost narrative is a revelation of the Holy Spirit. It is also the action of the Spirit revealing and manifesting the Church. While this is the formal introduction of the presence, person, and power of the Spirit in Scripture, it is necessary to point out that the Spirit has been living and active from the start of God’s plan for salvation.

The Holy Spirit is involved in the plan of salvation from the beginning just as much as the Father and the Son. The Spirit is really God. The Spirit is consubstantial with the Father and the Son and is inseparable from them (cf. Catechism, 689). The Spirit has the same “substance” or divine nature as they do. The Spirit has the same mission as the Son in the cause of salvation. When the Father sends the Son He also sends the Spirit to save us from sin and give us divine life.

The word Spirit comes from the Hebrew ruah, which means breath, air, wind. The Spirit is God’s breath, filling us with divine life, purifying our souls, sustaining our immortality until we love what God loves, do what God wants of us until this earthly part of us glows with divine fire.

Scripture calls the Spirit the paraclete, meaning our advocate and consoler. Jesus asked the Father to send us the Spirit to remind us of what Jesus taught and guide us into truth. On Easter night Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles, breathing into them the third Person of the Trinity. From that moment on the mission of Jesus and the Spirit becomes the mission of the Church. The revelation of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is also the Spirit’s public manifestation of the Church.

Tradition uses many images to illustrate the Spirit’s actions.
Water, signifying the Spirit’s saving action at baptism.
Oil and Seal, by which the Spirit anoints us at confirmation.
Fire, by which the Spirit transforms us into Christ.
Cloud, the shining glory that led Israel in the desert, dwelt on the Ark of the Covenant, overshadowed Mary at the Annunciation, and was present at Christ’s baptism and transfiguration. The cloud image emphasizes how the Spirit helps us experience the effective Divine presence.

Pentecost Sunday

"And when the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire, which settled upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak" (Acts 2, 1-4).

Pentecost Sunday marks the end of the first novena. See The Novena to the Holy Spirit to prepare for this great feast.

Pentecost (Whitsunday), with Christmas and Easter, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity. It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.

Pentecost
After Jesus had ascended to heaven from Mt. Olivet, the apostles and disciples returned to the Holy City. They remained together in the Upper Room or Cenacle, the place where Jesus had appeared to them and which may well be called the first Christian church. About a hundred and twenty persons were assembled there. They chose Matthias as an apostle in place of the unhappy Judas; they prayed and waited for the Paraclete.

Ten days had passed, it was Sunday, the seventh Sunday after the resurrection. At about nine o'clock in the morning, as they were together praying fervently, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Note how all the great theophanies in Christ's life occurred during the course of prayer. After His baptism, for instance, when Jesus was praying the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove; likewise, it was during prayer at night that the transfiguration took place on Tabor. Surely too it was while Mary was praying that Gabriel delivered his message, and the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. Pentecost followed precedent. The small community of Christians had prepared themselves through prayer for the coming of the Paraclete. The same is true at Mass today, every day; through prayer we ready our souls for the advent of the Spirit.

The descent upon the apostles was internal and invisible in nature although accompanied by certain visible phenomena. There came a mighty roar, like the onrush of a violent wind. It came suddenly, from heaven; but unlike storms that strike a structure from without, this one penetrated and filled the room where the disciples were gathered. Therefore it was not a natural wind, it was a miracle peculiar to the occasion. A second visible sign consisted in tongues of fire that descended upon each one present. These fiery tongues gave visible evidence that the Holy Spirit had descended upon them.

Today at Mass, particularly at holy Communion, the power of the Holy Spirit will come down upon us; fiery tongues will not be seen, but invisible tongues of fire will not be absent. There was still another external manifestation of the Holy Spirit; the apostles and disciples were enabled to speak various languages.

After the roar of the wind many of Jerusalem's pilgrims hurried to the Cenacle. Pentecost was one of the three festivals which obliged all Jews to be present in Jerusalem. Jews from distant lands, and Jewish converts from paganism too, attended these feasts. As a result, a colorful crowd speaking a variety of languages surrounded the house. Now the apostles, who so shortly before had hid in fear behind locked doors, came forth and courageously walked among the multitude speaking to each in his native tongue. It was indeed amazing! Galileans, and multilingual?

But the malicious too were present; they had the answer. Nothing marvelous at all! Those Galileans were simply drunk, and their drunken babble sounded like a foreign language! Peter showed no hesitation in answering the charge. None of their number, he said, were intoxicated; it was but nine o'clock in the morning, and at that hour men usually are sober. What the multitude saw was, in fact, the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy: In those days (of the Messiah), God will pour forth His Spirit upon men and they will prophesy. . . . Then the apostle pointed his words more directly against the accusers: they had killed Jesus, had nailed Him to the Cross; but God had awakened Him and after His departure to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit.

The pilgrims who had heard Peter give this first pentecostal sermon "were pierced to the heart and said: Brethren, what shall we do? But Peter said to them: Repent and be baptized; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Three thousand responded.

One final question: why the miracle of tongues? In answer, recall the story regarding the tower of Babel. Puffed up by pride, men attempted to build a tower that would touch the heavens. To punish their sin, God confused their speech. Sin causes confusion and division. Now Christ came to gather all men into His Church and thereby to unite them to Himself. This should result in creating but one family of nations again. To this blessed state the miracle of tongues points.

Yes, even we as individuals have a gift of tongues which all men can understand. It is the gift of love infused into us by the Holy Spirit. Love unites, love is a common language, by means of love we can speak to all nations. — The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Collect:
Almighty and ever-living God, you fulfilled the Easter promise by sending us your Holy Spirit. May that Spirit unite the races and nations on earth to proclaim your glory. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Recipes:

·	Wiltshire Whitsuntide Cake
·	Gooseberry Pudding
·	Herb Salad Dressing
·	Strawberry Cake
·	Baba au Rhum
·	Strawberry Glaze
·	Pentecost Cake
·	Gingerbread for Whitsun Monday
·	Gook
·	Herb Vinegar
·	Gateau au Rhum
·	Coffee-Rum Syrup
·	Rum Cream Filling
·	Nut Sponge Cake
·	Cheese Knishes
·	Cheese Blintzes
·	Milk and Honey Cookies

Activities:

·	Pentecost Wheel
·	Pentecost Activities
·	Come, Holy Ghost
·	Pentecost Favors
·	To Thee the Holy Ghost, We Now Pray
·	Pentecost "Novena" — Focus on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
·	Pentecost Picnic
·	Wooden Doves for Pentecost
·	Whitsunday, The Cenacle
·	Confirmation Catechesis
·	Pentecost Tree
·	Make Your Own Windmill
·	Cenacle Project

Prayers:

·	Prayer to the Holy Spirit
·	The Golden Sequence
·	Renewal of Confirmation
·	Pentecost Prayers
·	Prayer Commemorating the Reception of Confirmation
·	Veni, Creator Spiritus
·	Novena to the Holy Spirit
·	Novena to the Holy Spirit (2)

Jn 14:15-26
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
15	If you love me, keep my commandments.	si diligitis me mandata mea servate
16	And I will ask the Father: and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever:	et ego rogabo Patrem et alium paracletum dabit vobis ut maneat vobiscum in aeternum
17	The spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, nor knoweth him. But you shall know him; because he shall abide with you and shall be in you.	Spiritum veritatis quem mundus non potest accipere quia non videt eum nec scit eum vos autem cognoscitis eum quia apud vos manebit et in vobis erit
18	I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you.	non relinquam vos orfanos veniam ad vos
19	Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more. But you see me: because I live, and you shall live.	adhuc modicum et mundus me iam non videt vos autem videtis me quia ego vivo et vos vivetis
20	In that day you shall know that I am in my Father: and you in me, and I in you.	in illo die vos cognoscetis quia ego sum in Patre meo et vos in me et ego in vobis
21	He that hath my commandments and keepeth them; he it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him and will manifest myself to him.	qui habet mandata mea et servat ea ille est qui diligit me qui autem diligit me diligetur a Patre meo et ego diligam eum et manifestabo ei me ipsum
22	Judas saith to him, not the Iscariot: Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world?	dicit ei Iudas non ille Scariotis Domine quid factum est quia nobis manifestaturus es te ipsum et non mundo
23	Jesus answered and said to him: If any one love me, he will keep my word. And my Father will love him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him.	respondit Iesus et dixit ei si quis diligit me sermonem meum servabit et Pater meus diliget eum et ad eum veniemus et mansiones apud eum faciemus
24	He that loveth me not keepeth not my words. And the word which you have heard is not mine; but the Father's who sent me.	qui non diligit me sermones meos non servat et sermonem quem audistis non est meus sed eius qui misit me Patris
25	These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you.	haec locutus sum vobis apud vos manens
26	But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.	paracletus autem Spiritus Sanctus quem mittet Pater in nomine meo ille vos docebit omnia et suggeret vobis omnia quaecumque dixero vobis

Jn 20:19-23
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
19	Now when it was late the same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them: Peace be to you.	cum esset ergo sero die illo una sabbatorum et fores essent clausae ubi erant discipuli propter metum Iudaeorum venit Iesus et stetit in medio et dicit eis pax vobis
20	And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.	et hoc cum dixisset ostendit eis manus et latus gavisi sunt ergo discipuli viso Domino
21	He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.	dixit ergo eis iterum pax vobis sicut misit me Pater et ego mitto vos
22	When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost.	hoc cum dixisset insuflavit et dicit eis accipite Spiritum Sanctum
23	Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.	quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueritis detenta sunt