This coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the Church, the day
we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles (and Our Blessed Mother).
What a birthday for the Church when heaven sent the Holy Spirit to confirm
those that were in the Upper Room. It was the first Confirmation service. And, oh, what a
difference it made in the life of the Apostles!
They had proven themselves to be "scaredy-cats" prior to Pentecost. They ran
for their lives when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Olives and hid themselves for fear of
the Jews even after the reported Resurrection.
In Scripture we read: "Perfect love casts out fear!" And how we can apply
that truth to what happened at Pentecost!
Christians know that there are three Persons in the Blessed Trinity, the
Father , the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But I am not sure how many Christians know (especially the young
people) that the love that exists between the Father and the Son is so great, that THAT "makes" or
"is" Who the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit IS the love between the Father and the Son.
Now, if "perfect love casts out fear," then it would follow that those who
have the Holy Spirit "poured out" on them will become courageous and bold for the sake of the
Kingdom. When the Holy Spirit fills them "to the brim," so to speak, fear is gone. Perfect love (Who
the Holy Spirit is) casts out fear.
Many people today are filled with fear. I hear it all the time. There is
fear of losing their health, fear of the coming chastisements, fear of where the moral decline of the world
is leading, fear of dying. There are many fears out there in many and varied forms.
Then all the more do we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us.
Because, as Our Lady of Medjugorje has said: "When you have the Holy Spirit, you have Everything."
This year has been designated by the Holy Father as the year of the HOLY
SPIRIT. Our Holy Father wants us to pay particular attention to the Holy Spirit and to pray to
the Holy Spirit with special attention and devotion.
In light of all of the above I would like to propose a couple of prayers that
I often offer to the Holy Spirit. One is:
"Holy Spirit, pour Yourself out on me with all of Your gifts!" and..
"Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and enkindle in them the
fire of Your Love. Send forth your Holy Spirit and they will be created and You shall renew the
face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, Who did instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light
of the Holy Spirit, grant that by this same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His
consolations, through Christ, our Lord. Amen"
Have a Pentecost that is FILLED with the Holy Spirit Who is LOVE and Who
casts out ALL fear! May He bless you with all of His gifts!