The Workings of the Holy Spirit
Last Sunday, Msgr. Jameson in his homily spoke about the coming celebration of Pentecost (May 31) and the workings of the Holy Spirit. "Very often, in speaking of the ways the Spirit works in the Church, we have tended to start with the hierarchical structure ..., viewing the Church as a pyramid, with the bishops and priests at the top and everyone else at the bottom. Call it 'trickle-down theology.' It has elements of truth but it has its limits!"
Pope Francis, Msgr. observed, "tends to start ... with the
whole
Church—lay people, priests, vowed religious, bishops—all of us together, and he awakens us to our call to be missionaries, our call to live and preach the Gospel of Joy. He reminds us that Jesus was speaking to the whole Church when he said 'I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you alw
ays, the Spirit of truth.' ...
What the Spirit really wants is to
spark new life, a new hope, a new joy—
a sort of revolution. It is Easter lived out on a daily basis."
Praying for the Spark of the Spirit
The Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit for the Seven Gifts is a powerful plea for the light, strength and love that the Spirit wants to give us. The New Testament teaches
that, following Jesus' Ascension, “all … joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts 1: 14) while they awaited being “clothed with the power from on high.” (Luke 24:29) We, too, can prepare for Pentecost by praying the Pentecost Novena
beginning Friday, May 22 and ending Saturday, May 30, the Vigil of Pentecost.
