Sunday, May 31, 2020
MAY 31 Pentecost (Whit) Sunday
VISITATION OF MARY/NOVENA to the HOLY SPIRIT
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples
were, for FEAR of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said
to them, “Peace be with you.”
Life begins at the end of our comfort zone. Do you
live in fear of failure or are you locking the doors of your heart to new
opportunities? When you let in the spirit of Christ you open yourself to
empowerment.
The Law of Empowerment[1]
The job of leadership is to lead with the intent to
work yourself out of a job. Imagine what
would happen if our politicos did this! This is what Jesus did. After
Christ gave His Peace to the apostles, he breathed on them to receive the power
of the Holy Spirit and thus empowered them to live the supernatural life. We in
turn by the power of the successors of the apostles are heirs to this. Christ
wants us to be change agents to bring about the Kingdom. How can we begin? What
steps can we take to mentor and empower others?
1.
Pray
for conviction and vision.
2.
Select
a person or group from your sphere of influence to mentor.
3.
Meet
and discuss expectations and goals.
4.
Cast
a vision to them for spiritual reproduction.
5.
Ask
for commitment.
6.
Determine
what tools or resources you will use together.
7.
Prepare
yourself and set goals for each meeting.
8.
Meet
regularly for a set time.
9.
Discuss
and apply the truths you learn together.
10. Invest yourself in the person, the
process, and the purpose.
11. Help them find a potential person
to mentor.
12. Evaluate and launch them to try the
process themselves.
Fifty days after
Easter, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles is one of the three
great feasts of the liturgical year.
What
is Pentecost? The solemn anniversary of the day
on which the Holy Ghost came down, under the appearance of fiery tongues, upon
Mary the Mother of Jesus, and His apostles and disciples, who were assembled in
prayer at Jerusalem. To express her joy at the descent of the Holy Ghost, the
Church sings, at the Introit of the Mass, The Spirit of the Lord hath filled
the whole earth, alleluia, and that which containeth all things, hath knowledge
of the voice, alleluia, alleluia. Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered;
and let them that hate Him fly before His face.
Prayer.
O God, Who on this day didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light
of the Holy Spirit, grant that we may be truly wise in the same Spirit, and
ever rejoice in His consolation.
EPISTLE. Acts
ii. 1-11.
When the days of
the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: and
suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it
filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them
parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: and they
were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers’
tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. Now there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. And
when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded
in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. And they
were all amazed and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these that speak
Galileans? And how have we heard every man our own tongue wherein we were born?
Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and in habitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and
Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphilia, Egypt, and the parts of
Lybia about Gyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes,
and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works
of God.
Why
does the Church celebrate this day so solemnly?
To praise and thank God for sending the Holy Ghost, Who gave so many spiritual
graces and fruits to men.
Why
did the Holy Ghost appear under visible signs?
It was done to attract attention, and to indicate outwardly what took place
inwardly. The roar of the mighty wind, according to the language of the
prophets, pointed to the approaching Godhead, and was intended to announce
something extraordinary. The appearance of tongues signified the gift of
languages, and the division of them the difference of gifts imparted by the
Holy Ghost. The fire which lightens, warms, and quickly spreads, denoted the
love of God, the power and joy with which the apostles, and mankind through
them, should be filled, and indicated the rapid extension of Christianity.
What
were the effects of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles?
Being enlightened and made acquainted with all truth, freed from all fear and
faint-heartedness, and undaunted, the apostles preached everywhere Christ
crucified, and for love of Him endured with joy all sufferings. Their
discourses were understood by all present, as if they had carefully learned
each particular language. From that time Christianity spread with wonderful
rapidity throughout the whole world. Pray the Holy Ghost to-day to enlighten
you also, to inflame you with holy love, and to give you strength daily to
increase in all goodness.
GOSPEL. John
xiv. 23-31.
At that time Jesus said to His disciples: If any one
love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, arid We will come
to him, and will make Our abode with him. 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. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. 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. Peace I
leave with you; My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give
unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. You have heard
that I said to you: I go away, and I come to you. If you loved Me, you would
indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you before it came to pass that when it shall come to pass,
you may believe. I will not now speak many things with you: for the prince of
this world cometh, and in Me he hath not anything. But that the world may know
that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given Me commandment, so do I.
Why is the Holy Ghost
called a spirit, and the Holy Spirit? Because He proceeds
from the Father and the Son, and is as it were, the Spirit of the Father and
the Son.
What does the Holy
Ghost effect in men? He renews their hearts, by
cleansing them from sin, by imparting to them the sanctification and likeness
to God gained through Christ, together with all these supernatural gifts and
graces by which they can become holy and happy, and brings forth in them
wonderful fruits of sanctity.
Which are these gifts
of the Holy Ghost? The seven following:
1. The gift of wisdom, which teaches us to
value the heavenly more than the earthly, infuses into us a longing for the
same, and points out to us the right means to salvation.
2. The gift of understanding, which enlightens
us to rightly understand the mysteries and doctrines of our holy religion.
3. The gift of counsel in doubtful cases, which
enables us to know what to do or omit, and what to advise others. This gift is
particularly necessary for superiors, for those who are changing their state of
life, and for those who are entangled in perplexing and unfortunate marriage
relations.
4. The gift of fortitude, which banishes all
timidity and human respect, strengthens a man to hate sin, and steadfastly to
practice virtue; preferring contempt, temporal loss, persecution, and even
death, to denying Christ by word or deed.
5. The gift of knowledge, by which the Holy
Ghost enlightens us with an inner light, that we may know ourselves, the snares
of self-love, of our passions, of the devil, and of the world, and may choose
the fittest means to overcome them.
6. The gift of piety and devotion, which
infuses into us veneration for God and divine things, and joy in conversing
with Him.
7. The gift of the fear of God, that childlike
fear, which dreads no other misfortune than that of displeasing God, and which,
accordingly, flees sin as the greatest evil.
The gift of Wisdom[3]
Wisdom
empowers a person “to
judge and order all things in accordance with divine norms and with a
connaturality that flows from a loving union with God.” So, while
knowledge and understanding enable a person to know and to penetrate the divine
truths, wisdom moves us to “fall
in love”
with them. The Holy Spirit aids the contemplation of divine things, enabling
the person to grow in union with God. This gift unites us to the heart of
Jesus. Father Adolphe Tanquerey taught, “This, then, is the difference
between the gift of wisdom and that of understanding, the latter is a view
taken by the mind, while the former is an experience undergone by the heart;
one is light, the other love, and so they united and complete one another.
Wisdom, withal, remains the more perfect gift; for the heart outranges the
intellect, it sounds greater depths, and grasps or divines what reason fails to
reach. This is particularly the case with the saints, in whom love often
surpasses knowledge”
(The Spiritual Life, p. 630). For example, St. Therese of Lisieux
(declared a doctor of the church), had no formal education in theology, and yet
was wise to the ways of the Lord, a wisdom gained through prayer and simple
acts of love offered to God. While this gift contemplates the divine, it also
is a practical wisdom. It applies God’s ideas to judge both created and
divine matter, thereby directing human acts according to divine wisdom.
Therefore, a person will see and evaluate all things — both joy and
sorrow, pleasure and pain, success and failure — from God’s point of view,
and accept them with equanimity. With wisdom, all things, even the worst, are
seen as having a supernatural value — for example, giving value to
martyrdom. Here a person arises above the wisdom of this world and lives in the
love of God. St. Paul captured well this gift of wisdom: “What we utter is
God’s
wisdom: a mysterious, a hidden wisdom. God planned it before all ages for our
glory. …Yet
God has revealed this wisdom to us through the Spirit. …The Spirit we have
received is not the world’s
spirit but God’s
Spirit, helping us to recognize the gifts He has given us. We speak of these,
not in words of human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, thus interpreting
spiritual things in spiritual terms. The natural man does not accept what is
taught by the spirit of God. For him, that is absurdity. He cannot come to know
such teaching because it must be appraised in a spiritual way. The spiritual
man, on the other hand, can appraise everything. We have the mind of Christ” (I Cor 2:6ff). Or
consider St. John’s
first epistle: “God
is love. Everyone who loves is begotten of God and has knowledge of God. …He who abides in
love, abides in God, and God in him. Our love is brought to perfection in this,
that we should have confidence on the Day of Judgment; for our relation to this
world is just like His. Love has no room for fear; rather, perfect love casts
out all fear”
(I Jn 4:7, 17-18).
Which are the fruits
of the Holy Ghost? They are the twelve following:
1. Charity.
2. Joy.
3. Peace.
4. Patience.
5. Benignity.
6.
Goodness.
7.
Longsuffering.
8.
Mildness.
9.
Faith.
10.
Modesty.
11. Continency.
12. Chastity.
These fruits should be visible in the Christian, for
thereby men shall know that the Holy Ghost dwells in him, as the tree is known
by its fruit.
Whit Sunday[4]
What is Whitsunday or
White Sunday? The liturgical color of this
Sunday is red in order to recall the tongues of flame that descended on the Apostles.
The old English name for Pentecost, Whitsunday, originated from the custom of
the newly baptized redonning their white robes for the services of the day. By
extension this could also apply to the new Easter clothes worn by the faithful
fifty days earlier.
The
Dove
Like Ascension
Thursday, Whitsunday was once the occasion for several liturgical
eccentricities. Many medieval churches, for example, had a Holy Ghost Hole in
the ceiling of the church from which a large blue disk bearing the figure of a
white dove would swing slowly down to the congregation during the Mass
sequence, Veni Sancte Spiritus. Midway through the sequence, the disk would stop
and from the Holy Ghost hole would rain symbols of the Spirit: flowers, water,
even burning pieces of straw. A practice far less susceptible to excess, on the
other hand, is the use of beautifully carved and painted wooden doves in the
home. These figures would usually be suspended over the dinner table, and would
sometimes be encased in glass, having been assembled entirely from within (much
like the wooden ships assembled in bottles). The painstaking effort that went
into making these doves serves as a reminder to cherish the adoration of the
Holy Spirit.
The
Blessed Dew
Though the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is often
described in dramatic terms (a mighty wind, tongues of fire, etc.), it is also
portrayed in soothing, comforting ways. The Whitsunday sequence Veni Sancte
Spiritus, for example, calls the Spirit our "sweet refreshment"
(dulcis refrigerium), while the postcommunion prayer, in an allusion to Isaiah
45.8, refers to the "inward sprinkling of His heavenly dew." Hence
there arose the charming superstition that the morning dew of Whitsunday is
especially good luck. To obtain a blessing, people would walk barefoot through
the meadows before Mass and would even feed their animals with bread wiped by
the dew.
Age
of the Holy Spirit
Where we are is the
age of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Church
because even though the Apostles were transformed by earlier events such as the
institution of the Eucharist and priesthood on Maundy Thursday or their
acquiring the power to forgive sins on Easter afternoon, they - and by
extension, the Church - did not really come into their own until the Paraclete
inspired them to burst out of their closed quarters and spread the Gospel to
the ends of the earth. And just as Pentecost marks the birthday of the Church
in the Holy Spirit, so too does the Time after Pentecost mark the life of the
Church moving through the vicissitudes of history under the protection and
guidance of that same Spirit. It is for this reason that the epistle readings
from this season emphasize the Apostles' advice to the burgeoning churches of
the day while its Gospel readings focus on the kingdom of heaven and its
justice. It is also the reason why the corresponding lessons from the breviary
draw heavily from the history of the Israelite monarchy in the Old Testament.
All are somehow meant to teach us how to comport ourselves as citizens of the
city of God as we pass through the kingdoms of this world.
Pentecost
Monday remains an official festival in many Protestant churches, such as the
(Lutheran) Church of Sweden, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Finland, and others. In the Byzantine Catholic Rite
Pentecost Monday is no longer a Holy Day of Obligation, but rather a
simple holiday.
In the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, as at
Easter, the liturgical rank of Monday
and Tuesday of Pentecost week is a Double of the First Class[71]
and across many Western denominations, Pentecost is celebrated with an octave culminating on Trinity
Sunday. However, in the modern Roman Rite (Ordinary Form), Pentecost
ends after Evening Prayer on the feast day itself, with Ordinary Time
resuming the next day.
·
My advice: Go to Mass for the 8 days.
Feast of the Visitation
of Mary[5]
THIS day
is called the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because on it Mary visited
her cousin Elizabeth, whom, as the angel had told her, God had blessed with a
son in her old age. In the Introit of the Mass the Church sings: “Hail, holy
parent, who didst bring forth the King Who rules heaven and earth forever. My
heart hath uttered a good word; I speak of my works for the King.”
Prayer. Vouchsafe, O Lord, we beseech Thee, unto us
Thy servants the gift of Thy heavenly grace, that, as in the childbirth of the
Blessed Virgin our salvation began, so from the votive solemnity of her
visitation we may obtain an increase of peace. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ,
etc. Amen.
EPISTLE. Cant. ii. 8-14.
Behold
lie cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills. My beloved is
like a roe or a young hart; behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through
the windows, looking through the lattices. Behold my beloved speaketh to me: Arise,
make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. For winter is now
past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in our land, the
time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: the
fig-tree hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet
smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come: my dove in the cliffs of the
rock, in the hollow places of the wall, show me thy face, let thy voice sound
in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely.
GOSPEL. Luke i. 39-47.
At that time: Mary rising up went into the
hill-country with haste, into a city of Juda: and she entered into the house of
Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard
the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled
with the Holy Ghost: and she cried out with a loud voice and said : Blessed art
thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to
me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold, as soon as the voice of thy
salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And
blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished
that were spoken to thee by the Lord. And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the
Lord; and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
1. As
soon as Mary heard that Elizabeth was with child, she hastened to her. The
alacrity of the Blessed Virgin teaches us that we should take part with
gladness in the happiness of our fellowmen, and quickly make ourselves ready to
discharge our duties, sacrificing for that object, if necessary, even our own much-loved
retirement, our devotions and other exercises of piety.
2. Mary
visited her cousin out of real love, not out of unmeaning ceremony. Would that
her example were followed in our visits!
3. By the visit of the Blessed Virgin John was sanctified in his
mother s womb, and Elizabeth, enlightened by the Holy Ghost, knew, by the
miraculous movements of her child, that Mary was the Mother of the Lord. Such
effects did this visit produce. What would Jesus effect in us if we received
Him with due preparation!
EXPLANATION
OF THE CANTICLE “MAGNIFICAT”
In this
hymn Mary with joy praises God, the Lord, that He has regarded her humility,
and made her to be the Mother of His only begotten Son, wherefore she should be
called blessed by all generations; and she declares the truths and mysteries
which the incarnation brought to light. The mercy of God, namely, reaches from
generation to generation to them that fear Him. He scatters the thoughts of the
proud, and puts down from their seats the mighty; but He exalts the humble. He
fills those who hunger for justice with good things, but those who think
themselves rich He sends away empty. He receives all true Israelites, and
performs in them the promises which He gave to the fathers. This hymn is
repeated by the Church every day at Vespers, in praise of the work of
redemption, begun by the incarnation of the Son of God in Mary. Would that
every Christian, since he becomes one only by Christ being, as it were, born in
him, might share those feelings which the Blessed Virgin and Mother has
expressed in this hymn of praise, and, with the Church, daily praise God for
the mystery of the incarnation!
Aspiration. O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
Who didst descend from the highest heavens to the womb of the Virgin Mary,
didst therein rest for nine months, and with her didst condescend to visit and
sanctify St. John, grant that we, by the practice of good works, particularly
of humility, may become partakers of the fruits of Thy incarnation.
Things to Do[6]
- Read Luke
1:39-47, the story of the Visitation. Read and meditate on the words of
the Magnificat and the Hail Mary, two prayers from this feast. For those
with children, depending on the ages, assign memorization for these
prayers. Also discuss the meaning of the text as a family.
- This feast
reminds us to be charitable to our neighbors. Try to assist some mother
(expectant or otherwise), visit the elderly or sick, make a dinner for
someone, etc.
World
No Tobacco Day[7]
World
No Tobacco Day serves to generate awareness about the health risks of tobacco
use and to advocate for more effective policies that can help reduce worldwide
tobacco use.
World No Tobacco Day Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Think
about your health. Quit smoking or encourage others to do so. Many help books
are available online to coach you through the withdrawal and help you find
alternative solutions to the cravings.
·
Educate
youth
and teenagers in your neighborhood about the negative effects of smoking and
encourage them to quit if they have already picked up the habit. The best way
to eradicate smoking is by educating the new generation of the negative effects
of tobacco use.
·
Volunteer
for the Freedom from Smoking program or another like program that helps smokers
quit.
·
Watch
a movie or documentary about smoking and tobacco. Our favorites: The Tobacco
Conspiracy, We Love Cigarettes and Passion for Cigarettes.
·
Lobby
for stricter tobacco advertisement laws and smoking laws in your community.
Tobacco companies continue to be pressured legally to disclose the negative
effects of their product and your help in supporting this legal action can lead
to even stricter laws.
Daily
Devotions
·
Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving
your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after SUNSET ON SATURDAY till
Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
·
Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
JUNE
Wildlife fills our life with joy and refreshment.
Songbirds and birds of prey, squirrels and rabbits, butterflies and lightning
bugs all carry a message worth discovering in early summer. Do we see and hear
them, or do we overlook them, even despise them? Are they simply an annoyance,
or do we come to know, love, and even serve these fellow creatures by providing
protection and habitat?
June: The Sacred
Heart of Jesus –
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the revelation of God’s immense love for us. It is
often depicted as a fiery furnace, pierced and broken, but beating with love.
The Sacred Heart is also a profound reminder of the humanity of our Lord, for
his heart is not a mere symbol, but a true physical reality.
Overview of June[8]
The
month of June is dedicated to The Sacred Heart of Jesus. This month
falls within the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, which is represented by
the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting
seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of
heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. It is used in the
offices and Masses of Ordinary Time.
As we
begin to feel the warmth of summer, we can reflect that we celebrate the feasts
of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 19) and the Immaculate Heart of
Mary (June 20). God is Love and the Sacred Heart of Jesus — present on
earth in the Blessed Sacrament — is the human manifestation of God's Love for
men.
Appropriately
June is considered the month for weddings where human hearts join and cooperate
with the Creator in bringing forth new life. The family they create is a human
reflection of the Blessed Trinity. Also, on June 1 we celebrate the Memorial
of Mary, Mother of the Church.
Following
Pentecost, the Church begins her slow descent from the great peaks of the
Easter Season to the verdant pastures of Ordinary Time, the longest of the
liturgical seasons. Like the lush June growth all around us, the green of the
liturgical season points to the new life won for us by the Redemption of Jesus
Christ, the new life of Charity. For Our Lord came to cast the fire of His love
on the earth, and to that end, sent His Holy Spirit at Pentecost in the form of
tongues of fire. Ordinary Time is the hour to “go out to all the world and tell
the good news.” The feasts of June highlight this expansion of the Church. At
least ten times, the Church vests in the red of the martyrs whose blood is the
very seed of her growth. She also celebrates the feasts of the apostles Peter
and Paul, and the birth of St. John the Baptist, proto-disciple and prophet. We
too are called to be witnesses like the apostles and martyrs. May the Heart of
Jesus inflame our hearts so that we may be worthy of our Baptismal call to
holiness. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
feasts
of this month are
·
St.
Justin (June 1),
·
Sts.
Marcellinus and Peter (June 2),
·
St.
Boniface (June 5),
·
St.
Norbert (June 6),
·
St.
Ephrem (June 9),
·
St.
Barnabas (June 11),
·
St.
Anthony of Padua (June 13),
·
Sts.
John Fisher and Thomas More (June 22),
·
the
Birth of St. John the Baptist (June 24),
·
St.
Josemaria Escriva (June 26),
·
St.
Cyril of Alexandria (June 27),
·
the
Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29) and the
·
First
Martyrs of the Church of Rome (June 30).
The
feast of St. Romuald (June 19) is superseded by the feast of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus. The feasts of St. Aloysius Gonzaga (June 21) and St. Irenaeus (June
28) are superseded by the Sunday liturgy.
[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership
Bible.
[2]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896
[3]https://www.catholicherald.com/Faith/Your_Faith/Straight_Answers/The_gifts_of_understanding_and_wisdom/
[5]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896
[6]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-05-31
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