Pentecost

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Today is the Feast of Pentecost. For most of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, this was just another day; for the Apostles it was the beginning of a completely new way of life. What will it be for you?

Acts 2:1-11

When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

The Holy Spirit and Jesus carried out a joint mission to teach and save the world that culminated with the death and Resurrection of Jesus.

The plan of God is that the joint mission of the Holy Spirit and Jesus will continue through every Christians.

The plan is for the Holy Spirit and Jesus to live in the hearts and souls of each believer so that they may continue their mission through us.

It is time for us to stop saying, “When will the Pope or the Bishops or the priests or the Church to do this or that?” The time for that is over. The Holy Spirit and Jesus live in you. They want to continue their mission through you. But they cannot if you will not get over yourself and cooperate. Are you ready to get over yourself and let the power of the Spirit and Jesus work wonders?

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Acts 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice… 'Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know…You killed him…but God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that…Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, 'What must we do, brothers?' 'You must repent,' Peter answered 'and every one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptized. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

Look at Peter, remember, this is the same guy who was so afraid that he denied he ever knew Jesus three times. Now look at him. We too have received the Spirit and Jesus who now live within us. It is time for us, like Peter, to stop relying on ourselves but rather on the Spirit and Jesus who live within us. Let us be bold.

The first step – live your faith like it is real. You know Jesus, Mary, heaven and hell are real. So live like it. Slow down, be aware of what you think, say and do. Make what you say, think and do match the fact that Jesus and Mary are real. This has great power. Many of your family and friends have a dead faith. They have ideas about Jesus but these are just ideas, not realities to be lived. They need something to make them recognize Jesus is real and not just an idea. That something is YOU! If you live your faith like it is reality it just might be the bridge to help them cross over from the realm of imaginary ideas to reality. Then they will go from dead faith to a living faith. You don’t have to be spotless. Just live as if Jesus is real. Because He is.

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Acts 2:42 These remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to friendship, to the breaking of bread (the first title for the Mass). The many miracles and signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone…They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved.

Notice how the first Christians lived friendship.

We all need a small group of family and friends with whom we can share life and integrate our faith. Why? Because solitary embers quickly grow cold. But our faith set ablaze by living it with others.

Plus, a heap of burning coals sets everything ablaze.

When we gather regularly with family and friends to just live life, we have good conversation about all kinds of things and we pray together – this becomes a powerful place for new people to see that Jesus and Mary and real. Then they can go from a dead faith to a living faith.

There is no end to the variety this spiritual friendship can take. You have to do you – but don’t do it alone. You wont survive alone. If you try to do it alone, you will be toast. Burnt toast. Pray to the Holy Spirit to inspire and embolden you to take action to forge spiritual friendship. And then take action.

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The Art of Good Conversation is essential.

Why? Because every person wants to be known and understood. If we demonstrate that we really know and understand a person without setting conditions on them, then we show them they have value – tremendous value. Knowing they have intrinsic value is the foundation to faith in God. Plus, if we show them we really know and understand them, then they will trust us enough so that they will be ok with us asking or inviting them to anything. We don’t share the faith because we are afraid we will harm the relationship. But if we have shown them we know and understand them and value them. That fear is removed.

Then we can explore, reflect, discuss and hash out important things together. Through this we come to know ourselves, and others and important truths more clearly. And we grow closer to God and to each other.

But we are not comfortable with deep conversations. I have a remedy but very few of you trust me.

Live friendship and then invite them to pray the Rosary podcast with you. Just hit play or print the Transcript and read it and pray the Rosary. When you finish simply ask: “What struck you? Why did that strike you?” and talk.

I asked Craig in NC how he got so many men to meet at the Irish Pub to pray the Rosary and talk and he said: “I just did what you told me and it worked.” Oh Yeah, I also offered free beer and free food…”

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Why always this emphasis on the Rosary? St Maximilian Kolbe saw clearly that if we want the Holy Spirit to act in our lives then we should turn to Mary – for the Holy Spirit works through her. 

The Third Person of the Blessed Trinity never took flesh; still our human word "spouse" is far too weak to express the reality of the relationship between the Immaculata and the Holy Spirit. We can affirm that she is, in a certain sense, the "incarnation" of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that we love in her; and through her we love the Son. The Holy Spirit is for too little known.

On July 28, 1935 Kolbe wrote (p. 473-474 Foster)

The union between the Holy Spirit and the Immaculata is so inexpressibly perfect that He conducts His activity through her only. Therefore, she is the mediatrix of all graces flowing from the Holy Spirit…In honoring the Immaculata, we honor in a special way the Holy Spirit.

Since the Holy Spirit and Mary act as one, the more we belong to Mary, the more we can be led by the Spirit.

·       That is why tomorrow, the day immediately after Pentecost is the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church,

o   to show the significant connection

o   between the Holy Spirit and Mary.