Daily
Thoughts:
Before I begin my reflections this morning first let me say that I am sorry for
offering you the wrong reflections yesterday. It was early in the morning and I
looked at the readings for Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter forgetting
that May 14th is the feast of St. Matthias. I hope you were not too
confused!
As we celebrate
the Feast of Pentecost today I am using the readings, Acts 2:2-11; 1
Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13; and John 20:19-23. These are the traditional
readings for Pentecost there are other options for Cycle C but I have chosen
for my reflections to use these readings.
“Different gifts
but the same Spirit!” It is hard sometimes to trust in the gifts that we have.
We always seem to look across the fence at the other side and think it looks
better. We tend to see what other people do and think, “If only I could be like
Mike!”
The key to
overcoming our struggle with the Spirit is to remember, that every gift comes
from the same Spirit. In other words we all have a common origin, we all are
gifted. The challenge is not, are we the best, the brightest, the most
powerful, the most important, the most well-known, the strongest, the most
gifted. The challenge is how do we give life to the gifts we have? How do we
speak and act so that when others hear and encounter us they come to know the
mighty acts of God?
St. Paul was very
creative when he used the image of the body to represent our relationship with
God, our relationship with Jesus. It is one body with all of us as members, as
parts. All of us are necessary for the body to work, to function, to have life,
with each member, each part valuable and important. Some members, some parts
may stand out more than others, but it is the sum of the parts working together
take makes the body visible, strong and life giving.
Yes, today we
celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We celebrate being one of
the many gifts of the Spirit. We celebrate being a part of Christ’s body. We
celebrate being a member and hopefully like the disciples on the first
Pentecost we give life to the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we have received so
that all will hear through us in a language they understand that proclaims the
mighty acts of God in the world today.
Have a great
Pentecost Sunday everyone! And may the Spirit of God’s peace be with you today
and always. Let the Holy Spirit fill your hearts with the Passion of Jesus
Christ and bring to life the fire of God’s love within you!
Daily Prayer: Breathe in us, O Holy
Spirit, that our thoughts, our ideas, our words, may all be holy. Act in us, O
Holy Spirit, that our works, our labors, our actions, our living of life too,
may be holy. Embrace our hearts, O Holy Spirit, that we may love and be love in
a holy way. Strengthen us, O Holy Spirit, that our lives may represent all that
is life giving and holy. Protect us, O Holy Spirit, that we always may be your
gifts of hope and life in this world. Amen! (Adapted for a Prayer
to the Holy Spirit by Saint Augustine)
A Runner’s Thoughts: Running is about the
physical, the mental and the emotional sides of our lives. It challenges us in
physical, mental and emotional ways. Will our bodies respond, will they hold
up, will they get us back home or to the finish line? Will our minds let us
move beyond the pain and the struggle? Can we overcome the fear? Will we give
in to what seems easier? Yes, running is about the physical, the mental and the
emotional sides of our lives, however running is also about the spiritual. It
is about breathing in the breath of God, the Holy Spirit. Running is about
giving life to the gift of who God has created us to be!
Daily Blessing: Pentecost greetings and
blessings to all! It is a beautiful morning here in Pelham and the forecast
calls for a sunny windy day with temperatures in the 60’s. No rain in sight at
least for today. What a great day for celebrating the Feast of Pentecost.
I hope your
Pentecost Sunday has started out well and that you will have a good if not
great day. Just a reminder to give the Holy Spirit a little time today too!
May God bless you
with an enjoyable day especially among family and/or friends. Through God’s
Spirit may this day offer you some rest and relaxation so that you might enjoy
the gifts of the Holy Spirit within and around you!
I will leave you
today with this thought from Thomas Merton, “Love is the guarantee that the life
of the Spirit is growing in us. Love is the sign of the Holy Spirit at work in
the Church and in the world.” So may God bless you with much love today and may
you love much today my friends! Peace in Christ’s Passion and Joy in the Gifts
of the Holy Spirit…Fr. Paul
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