B16 - Pentecost 2009

God’s Spirit, wherever it enters, quashes fear; it helps us recognize and feel that we are in the hands of an Omnipotent love; whatever happens His infinite love will never abandon us.

The witness of the martyrs shows us this, the courage of the confessors of faith, the intrepid zeal of the missionaries, the frank nature of the preachers, the example of all of the saints, some even adolescent and children. The very existence of the Church shows us this, which, despite the limits and fault of man, continues its journey on the oceans of history, blown onwards by the breath of God and animated by his purifying fire.

With this faith and joyous hope we repeat today through the intercession of Mary: "Send your Spirit Oh Lord, and renew the face of the earth!".

~Pope Benedict XVI, Pentecost Sermon 2009

Pentecost Poems & Prayers

In the womb that bore
you are Fire and Spirit,
Fire and Spirit are in the river
where you were baptized,
Fire and Spirit are
in our baptism too,
And in the Bread and Cup
are Fire and Spirit.

~St. Ephrem the Syrian

O God the Holy Ghost
Who art light unto thine elect
Evermore enlighten us.
Thou who art fire of love
Evermore enkindle us.
Thou who art Lord and Giver of Life,
Evermore live in us.
Thou who bestowest sevenfold grace,
Evermore replenish us.
As the wind is thy symbol,
So forward our goings.
As the dove, so launch us heavenwards.
As water, so purify our spirits.
As a cloud, so abate our temptations.
As dew, so revive our languor.
As fire, so purge our dross

~Christina Rossetti

Most Holy Spirit,
the Paraclete, Father of the poor,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Light of hearts, Sanctifier of souls;
behold me prostrate in Thy presence.

I adore Thee with profoundest homage:
I bless Thee a thousand times
and with the Seraphim who stand before Thy throne,
I also say: "Holy, holy, holy."

I firmly believe that Thou art eternal,
consubstantial with the Father and the Divine Son.

I hope in Thy goodness
that Thou wilt deign to save and sanctify my soul.

I love Thee, O Divine Love,
with all my affections
above all the things of this world,
because Thou art Infinite Goodness,
alone worthy of all love.

And since in my ingratitude and blindness
to Thy holy inspirations,
I have so often offended Thee by my sins,
with tears in my eyes
I beg Thy pardon a thousand times,
and am more sorry for having offended Thee,
the Sovereign Good, than for any other evil.

I offer Thee this most cold heart of mine,
and I pray Thee
to pierce it with a ray of Thy light,
and with a spark of Thy fire,
which shall melt the hard ice of my iniquities.

Thou who didst fill the soul
of the most holy Mary with immense graces,
and didst inflame the hearts of the Apostles
with holy zeal, inflame, I beseech Thee,
my heart also with Thy love.

Thou art the Divine Spirit:
give me courage against all evil spirits.

Thou art Fire:
enkindle in me Thy love.
Thou art Light:
enlighten my mind with the knowledge of eternal things.
Thou art the Dove:
give me innocence of life.
Thou art the gentle Breeze:
disperse the storms of my passions.
Thou art the Tongue:
teach me how to bless Thee always.
Thou art the Cloud:
shelter me under the shadow of Thy protection.
And lastly, Thou art the Giver of all heavenly gifts:
animate me, I beseech Thee, with Thy grace;
sanctify me with Thy charity;
enlighten me with Thy wisdom;
adopt me by Thy goodness as Thy son,
and save me in Thy infinite mercy;
so that I may ever bless Thee, praise Thee, and love Thee;
first during this life on earth,
and then in heaven for all eternity. Amen.
Alphonsus Liguori

O living Spirit, O falling of God-dew,
O Grace which dost console us and renew,
O vital light, O breath of angelhood,
O generous ministration of things good,
Creator of the visible, and best
Upholder of the great unmanifest
Power infinitely wise, new boon sublime
Of science and of art, constraining might,
In whom I breathe, live, speak, rejoice, and write, --
Be with us in all places, for all time!

~Manuel Phile (tr. by Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

PENTECOST!

Pentecost Troparion, Tone 8

Bearing the seal of the divinity, the Spirit was imparted to the apostles in the form of fire; He is manifested through the gift of tongues, for He is the divine power who comes freely from the Father.

Receive the Holy Spirit, breathing the flames of fresh dew as a baptism that takes away sin, O children enlightened by the Church. For today the law comes forth from Zion; it is the grace of the Spirit which comes in tongues of fire.

When the Most High descended and confused tongues, He scattered nations. When He distributed the tongues of fire , He called all to unity. We also, with one voice, glorify the Most Holy Spirit.

While the apostles were preaching the marvels of God, the unbelievers took for drunkenness the power of the Spirit who made known to us the Trinity, the one God of our Fathers!

Let us approach the inviolate mountain without fear of the terrible fire; come, let us climb the mountain of Zion, the city of the living God. In joy, let us now unite ourselves with the choir of the disciples, the bearers of the Spirit: Sing to the Lord, all you works of the Lord, and exalt Him forever.

~from the Pentecost Canon (Eastern Rite)

Feast of St. Philip Neri

"Let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow."
~St. Philip Neri

St. Philip Neri liked to pray at night. He would go out in the streets, sometimes to churches, but most often into the catacombs.

On the vigil of Pentecost in 1544, St Philip was praying in the Catacombs of St. Sebastian, as he had done many times, and asked God to give him more of the Holy Spirit.

As the night passed, he was suddenly filled with great joy, and had a vision of the Holy Spirit, who appeared to him as a ball of fire. This fire entered into St Philip’s mouth, and descended to his heart, causing it to expand to twice its normal size, and breaking two of his ribs in the process. He said that it filled his whole body with such joy and consolation that he finally had to throw himself on the ground and cry out, "No more, Lord! No more!"

St Philip is often described in art, poetry and prayers as having a "heart of fire". St. John Newman called him a "Vessel of the Holy Spirit".

When asked how to pray his answer was, "Be humble and obedient and the Holy Spirit will teach you."

St. Philip Neri was well known for his sense of humor. To honor him today try to laugh at yourself when something annoying happens, try to make someone else happy by your cheerful disposition.

His order, the Oratorians, have established oratories throughout the world. One North American oratory is in Toronto.

Ascension Sunday

Christ has ascended! From earth to heaven!

The Lord ascended into heaven to send the Comforter into this world. The heavens prepared His throne and clouds were His ladder; the angels marvelled at the sight of a human being more exalted than themselves. Today the Father receives again in His bosom the One who was in Him from all eternity, and the Holy Spirit gives command to all the angels: Lift up your lintels, O you gates! O you nations of the earth, clap your hands, for Christ ascends to the place where He had been from all eternity.

~Stichera from Ascension Vespers, Tone 6


By going up again into heaven from which you had descended, you did not leave us orphans, O Lord. Show to all Your people the works of Your power, that Your Spirit may come down upon us and bring peace to the world, O Lord and lover of us all.

~Litija, Tone 1

Still Breathing

Hello everybody, it's your humble blogger here. Half the month is passed and no updates. Sorry about that. I just moved into a new apartment in Ypsilanti, Michigan and I don't have an internet connection. I will add new posts soon since Ascension and Pentecost are coming up. I have not abandoned you loyal readers.

Stay tuned...

David

May 2009

May is Mary's Month

Spend some time this month getting to know Jesus' Mom. She is our Mother too: Mother of the Church. There are two decent books written by Evangelicals about Mary that I reviewed last year.

On May 13th she is celebrated as Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.

Hopefully you can find a local parish that is having a May Crowning. The ceremony traditionally takes place with young girls dressed in dresses carrying flowers (traditionally hawthorn) to adorn the statue. One of the girls (often the youngest) carries a crown of flowers or an actual golden crown on a cushion for placement by the May Queen (often the oldest girl) on the statue. The flowers are replaced throughout the month to keep them fresh.

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions

Lay Vocation Promoters: That the laity and Christian communities may embrace their responsibility for promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

A Missionary Church: In response to the Lord for the gift of faith, may the younger Catholic communities generously participate in the universal mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Feasts:
Prophet Jeremiah (May 1 Byzantine)
Athanasius the Great (May 2)
Martyrs of England & Wales (May 4)
St. John the Evangelist (May 8 Byzantine)
Sts. Cyril & Methodius (May 11 Byzantine)
St. Isidore the Farmer (May 14)
Ascension of Our Lord (May 21)
Venerable Bede (May 25)
St. Philip Neri (May 26)
Pentecost (May 31)

Myrrh-Bearing Women

On the second Sunday after Pascha (Easter), Eastern Catholics remember the women who brought spices to the tomb of Jesus. In some countries Mother's Day is celebrated today.

Why do you hasten, O myrrh-bearers? Why are you carrying myrrh to the living God? Christ is risen as he said. Wipe away your tears and from now on change your tears into joy.

Coming near to your tomb, O Savior, the myrrh-bearers hesitated, saying to each other: Who will roll the stone away from the tomb for us? They looked and saw that it had been rolled away. Startled by the sight of the radiant angel, they were seized with fear and wanted to flee, but the young man cried out to them: Do not be afraid! The One whom you seek is risen; come and see the place where the body of Jesus lay. Hasten to his disciples and proclaim to them: the Savior is risen from the tomb.

(Matins Canon, Ode 6)

The Grace of Poor Health

This is an English translation
that I did of a French holy card.

The original can be seen at the
"Holy Cards for Your Inspiration" blog.

Divine Mercy Sunday

The Feast of Mercy is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Day of Atonement. It is a day of reconciliation and intercession.

The Gospel reading shows Jesus appearing in the upper room and giving the disciples the authority to forgive sins [John 20:19-31]. The Epistle reading mentions the Blood and Water which poured forth from the heart of Jesus [1 John 5:1-6]. The Psalm reading declares, "His mercy endures forever" [Psalm 118].

"I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and recieve Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet." ~Jesus to St. Faustina (Diary 699)



**Today is Pascha (Easter) for the Eastern Orthodox. Christ is Risen! Visit Last week's post for my Paschal greeting.

Maronite Patriarchate - Pascha 2009

The resurrection of Christ was the greatest proof he gave about his divinity. Human beings die but do not return to this life. But Christ died and returned alive but in body not made of earth. His resurrection is a pledge of our rising up from death. Thus , the Apostle Paul says : “If , then , we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Rom. 6:8).

In order to be able to live with Christ after death, we must live with him on earth. This means that we have to fill ourselves with his teachings, implement them and apply them in our daily life throughout all its stages. The Christian cannot be Christian in the Church and non-Christian at work, allowing to himself what is refused by right, justice and the conscience enlightened by faith.

The Christian who is willing to live his Christian life as wanted by Christ, cannot permit for himself the forbidden , violate the sacred and commit reprehensible actions as if he had two ways of action : one with God and the other with people. There must be a harmony between the two ways of living. Moreover, he has to lead one life with his ownself , with people and with God . Being true to oneself is a sine-qua-non condition, for man, to live in an atmosphere of truth with people. He who is not true with his ownself , how can he be true with people ?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says : “the Christian must live in truth as God does”. The total truth of God was revealed in Jesus Christ. He is full of the grace and truth (Jn. 12:8). He who believes in him does not stay in darkness. The disciple of Christ keeps his word so that he knows the truth which sets him free and sanctifies (Jn. 8:31-32).

Following Jesus means that the faithful lives out of the spirit of truth (Jn. 14:17) sent by the Father in his name (Jn 14:26) and who leads to all truth (Jn.16:13). Jesus taught his disciples the love of an unconditional truth. “Let your “Yes” mean “Yes”, and your “No” mean “No” (Mt. 5:37).

On the occasion of Easter, we ask God for many returns full of blessing, good, tranquility and peace of mind.

Ukrainian Catholic Hierarchs - Pascha 2009

CHRIST IS RISEN!

"Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus…" Luke 24:13

The highlight of Easter morning for each of us is undoubtedly the moment we first hear the triumphant Paschal troparion ringing out at the beginning of the Matins of the Resurrection: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and to those in the tombs giving life!" When we repeat these joyful words, as we will many times on Easter Sunday and for the next forty days, all our earthly cares seem to melt away, things that trouble us fade into the background and become somehow less burdensome. A heavy weight – the weight of sin and eternal death – has been lifted from our shoulders with the glorious Resurrection of Christ.

These feelings of joy were not shared by at least two of Jesus’ disciples, however. In one of the most memorable and evocative scenes from the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection, we see Cleopas and his nameless companion, hurrying away from Jerusalem as the sun sets on that momentous day.

They are distressed, disappointed and fearful. As they walk they speak in hushed and agitated tones to one another about what has just taken place before their eyes: the seizure, trial, scourging and death by crucifixion of their leader upon whom they had pinned all their aspirations of national liberation, Jesus of Nazareth. Their hopes are dashed; they are convinced that everything is finished. And then, it seems out of nowhere a stranger joins them on the road and begins to converse with them…

We are all familiar with this marvelous scene, how Jesus gradually lifts the veil from the eyes of Cleopas and his companion so that they are able to recognize him, how he transforms their fear and doubt into rekindled hope and a zealous faith in the reality of his Resurrection. How does he do this; how does he convince them? Through his word and through the breaking of the bread.

As he walks with them Jesus does not perform a miracle that would instantaneously convince Cleopas and his companion of his identity. Instead, he teaches them. He speaks to them from Holy Scripture and allows everything that Moses and the prophets said about the coming of the Messiah to gradually reveal to them who he really is. And later, at table at the inn in Emmaus, when Jesus takes the bread, invokes a blessing, breaks it and shares it with them, the final obstacle is removed from their mind, the veil is completely lifted from their eyes. The light floods in and they recognize him. It is the Lord! And in this jubilant realization they drop everything and race back to Jerusalem, even now in the dead of night, to share with the others, this astonishing appearance of the resurrected Jesus.

It is no accident that the name of Cleopas’ companion on the road to Emmaus is never revealed. He is nameless because he is us. And the road that links Jerusalem to Emmaus and back again is a symbol of the road along which each of us is a traveler. In fact all humanity moves along this path – the path of life – an immense caravan of people who are sometimes happy and content, but often distrustful and disillusioned, sometimes sure and steady, but often uncertain and disoriented, but who are always searching or waiting.

We, like Cleopas’ companion along the road, are naïve, filled with fickle hopes and worldly aspirations. We are blind to God’s Providence and have been brought low by the circumstances of life and our own sinfulness and pride. Who can restore our equilibrium? Who can save us?

Who indeed, but the Resurrected Lord, who comes to us of his own free will. It is he who joins us as we journey every day along our road of life. It is he who teaches and comforts us. It is he who shares a meal with us, as he did with Cleopas and his companion. In other words he enlightens us through Holy Scripture and he nourishes us with his Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. And our eyes are opened and our hearts are warmed and we gain strength for the journey.

Our prayer for you on this glorious Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is that our ears may always be attuned to hear the voice of the Lord as he speaks to us in many ways but especially through the inspired writings of Holy Scripture. May also our eyes be opened to truly recognize our Lord in the breaking of the bread so that we may worthily receive him in the Holy Eucharist. And, along with Cleopas and his companion, may our hearts also ‘burn within us’ with the love of God and neighbor.

God grant to you and to your loved ones, and to our brothers and sisters in our beloved Ukraine and scattered throughout the world, good health, joy, peace and contentment. A blessed Pascha!

~Ukrainian Catholic Hierarchs in the U.S.A.

+Stefan
Metropolitan-Archbishop of Philadelphia

+Robert
Eparch of St. Josaphat in Parma

+Richard
Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago

+Paul
Eparch of Stamford

+John
Auxiliary Bishop to the Metropolitan