Monthly Archives: June 2017

Pentecost
Acts 2:1-11 | Psalm 103(104):1,24,29-31,34 | 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13 | John 20:19-23

I thought about what I would write tonight, then I realized that nothing I could say meant more to me than the words I would be singing tomorrow, so…

Holy Spirit, Lord of Light,
From the clear celestial height
Thy pure beaming radiance give.

Come, thou Father of the poor,
Come with treasures which endure
Come, thou light of all that live!

Thou, of all consolers best,
Thou, the soul’s delightful guest,
Dost refreshing peace bestow

Thou in toil art comfort sweet
Pleasant coolness in the heat
Solace in the midst of woe.

Light immortal, light divine,
Visit thou these hearts of thine,
And our inmost being fill:

If thou take thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay
All his good is turned to ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew
On our dryness pour thy dew
Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will
Melt the frozen, warm the chill
Guide the steps that go astray.

Thou, on us who evermore
Thee confess and thee adore,
With thy sevenfold gifts descend:

Give us comfort when we die
Give us life with thee on high
Give us joys that never end.

Amen.

Saturday of the 7th Week of Eastertide
Acts 28:16-20,30-31 | Psalm 10(11):4-5,7 | John 21:20-25
Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs
2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14 | Psalm 123(124):2-5,7-8 | Matthew 5:1-12

Last night, I attended a talk by Fr. Paul Staes at our parish, in preparation for the great feast of Pentecost.

The title was deceptively straightforward: “No Spiritual Life Without The Spirit”. His delivery was similarly gentle, hiding the gut-punch of personal admission that we were mostly sleepwalking through our spiritual lives, always wanting to be “in charge” of our secular and spiritual lives, but left with aimless and meaningless repetition of ancient formulas and actions in both arenas.

It’s no wonder we often see each other as angry bees, rushing breathlessly around in our busyness, ignoring each other as much as possible, funeral faces firmly bolted on.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

Over the past year, I’ve written quite often about how pleasurable it is to be pleasant to everyone around me, especially those who are providing me service in one form or another.

I hope that the recipients of my little kindness were “infected” just enough to pass some joy and hope on to others. Perhaps some of those folks were teetering on the cliffs of despair, and that small ray of human sunshine they received from my friends-in-passing helped them pull back from a literal plunge to their end.

It sounds like a heartwarming scene in a movie, with swelling music to match, doesn’t it? It seems like an improbable fantasy, but so’s hope in a world determined to cling to bleakness. Why not let a few flowers of love blossom in men’s hearts?

So on this last day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, let us reflect on how we can “pollinate” the souls of those around us, by living out the 3 Be’s as Fr. Paul described them to us:

• Believe the words of faith that we now utter without thought, through active pondering and prayer.
• Belong to our parish community, rather than holding others at arm’s length, so that we may come to depend on them, and they on us.
• Behave like true children of God, overflowing cornucopias of joy and hope for the world.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit perfect the supernatural virtues by enabling us to practice them with greater docility to divine inspiration. As we grow in the knowledge and love of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit, our service becomes more sincere and generous, the practice of virtue more perfect. Such acts of virtue leave the heart filled with joy and consolation and are known as Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits in turn render the practice of virtue more attractive and become a powerful incentive for still greater efforts in the service of God, to serve Whom is to reign.

Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.

Friday of the 7th Week of Eastertide
Acts 25:13-21 | Psalm 102(103):1-2,11-12,19-20 | John 21:15-19

‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ (John 21:17)

The Lord knows everything. What do we know, and how confident are we about it?

What do we really mean, when we say that God is the most important aspect of our lives?

Do we even know what we’re talking about, or are we just babbling platitudes, like St. Peter at the Transfiguration of the Lord?

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In the early days of my blog, I tended towards the cerebral, researching scripture passages to discover the history behind the scenes they depict, unearthing juicy tidbits that made me look at these passages in a new light.

That wasn’t wisdom.

Nowadays, I tend to focus more on my relationship with others, the things that happen in my life, and how I can spend more time with God.

That’s probably closer to the ideal that is Wisdom, but I still have a long way to go. I still worry about mundane issues like what it would take to grow my business, still working on my work/life/God balance. The recent heightening of ministerial tensions at my parish coincide with a growing realization that I may have to spend an extended period overseas growing my new business, but it still feels like I’m running away from my call to serve.

I can’t help the feeling that I’m trying to be too smart for my own good, that despite my best efforts, I’m still prioritizing the mundane matters of this world over the virtuous living that God commands.

On this seventh day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, it seems appropriate to set aside what I “know”, and pray like a fool for a double helping of the Wisdom that I’ll need, to serve God as He calls me, while still supporting my family and friends to the extent they need.

Embodying all the other gifts, as charity embraces all the other virtues, Wisdom is the most perfect of the gifts. Of wisdom it is written “all good things came to me with her, and innumerable riches through her hands.” It is the gift of Wisdom that strengthens our faith, fortifies hope, perfects charity, and promotes the practice of virtue in the highest degree. Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish things divine, in the appreciation of which earthly joys lose their savor, whilst the Cross of Christ yields a divine sweetness according to the words of the Saviour: “Take up thy cross and follow me, for my yoke is sweet and my burden light.”

Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Help me to attain them and possess them forever. Amen.

Thursday of the 7th week of Eastertide
Acts 22:30,23:6-11 | Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-11 | John 17:20-26
Saint Justin, Martyr
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 | Psalm 33(34):2-9 | Matthew 5:13-19

Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ (Acts 23:6)

Such is the power of the Spirit’s good counsel that, while surrounded by the ravenous lions of the Sanhedrin, St. Paul was able to utter a few simple words that turned them against each other.

Did he lie? No.

Did he take advantage of inherent divisions? Certainly, but without the Spirit’s guidance, I doubt he would’ve been able to find the right words at the right time.

Similarly, we’ve all had occasion to call on the Spirit for guidance in difficult situations. I’m sure that, for the most part, we’ve been guided safely through those situations, though perhaps not without a few singed eyebrows to remind us not to enter such situations in the future.

Consider what would be possible, if we called on the Spirit in good times as well as in bad. Imagine how we could be directed towards God at all times, making choices that might not be the most advantageous, but would always be the most holy.

Imagine what would be possible, when on this seventh day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, we “outsource” our judgement to the Spirit, for the rest of our lives.

The gift of Counsel endows the soul with supernatural prudence, enabling it to judge promptly and rightly what must done, especially in difficult circumstances. Counsel applies the principles furnished by Knowledge and Understanding to the innumerable concrete cases that confront us in the course of our daily duty as parents, teachers, public servants, and Christian citizens. Counsel is supernatural common sense, a priceless treasure in the quest of salvation. “Above all these things, pray to the Most High, that He may direct thy way in truth.”

Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.