Pentecost Sunday

 "Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them." Acts 2:2

The winds of Pentecost are cleansing, empowering and renewing. Freed of the limitations of the Old Law, the Gospel assures believers that the Spirit of God will be their guide and strength. What might have made the first disciples anxious before the Spirit's coming upon them, now is a tool of rebirth, something that becomes their strength. Remembering that Jesus told them many times not to be afraid, the Apostles and disciples trusted the fire of the Spirit's power to be their gateway to a rekindled faith life.

Likewise, lifted up by the fire of God's love, we are sent into the world as a challenge to others to let go of the empty values of wealth and power over others for our own satisfaction. Rather, we offer the peace of God that we give freely to those seeking a new way of life. Simple and without conditions, God's love is open to all who are willing to be possessed by God's spirit and root themselves in the commitment to share all God's gifts with all people.

Today, let the fire of the Spirit tell you how to live in Christ.

Have you ever been "blown away" by faith and its promises?

Minding our Business

  "Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”

Jesus is direct and sharp with Peter when the apostle asks Jesus about John's fate. Simply put, Jesus tells Peter to mind his own business and it shocks us. Too often we want to know details about other's lives not because we are concerned for them, but because we are nosy. Jesus will have none of it and his reminder to Peter continues to ring true today.

The Lord tells Peter not to worry about John's fate, but to follow him. That is all that is important and all that matters. Our task is to follow Jesus without being concerned about the behavior of others. This is not to say we will never wonder about the integrity of others lives, but Jesus is clear when he tells Peter to pay attention to his own life and to care for others as God cares for them. To do otherwise distracts us from our primary work. We must proclaim the Good News in season and out despite the failure of others to respond.

Today, mind your own business and be grateful for your faith.

Which of your faults most distract you from living the Gospel?

St Charles Lwanga and Companions

 "Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace." Acts 20:24

One of the delights for Catholics in using the liturgical calendar regularly is that we get introduced to people from many different places and cultures around the world. Reading about St Francis Xavier one is led to the Far East: India, Japan and Indonesia. St Rose of Lima introduces believers to South America with its unique blending of indigenous and Spanish cultures, and each time we read (or visit!) these cultures we are changed, but we need also to be careful in this regard.

Many countries in Africa, Asia, and South America, where there were large numbers of indigenous people, resisted Christianity for this reason. King Mwanga of Buganda (now southern Uganda) was one of the resisters, and he had little patience with any person, group or religion that he suspected of colonizing his people and nation in the name of God.

St Charles Lwanga, although a faithful government official in the Kingdom of Buganda, was martyred because King Mwanga, whom he served so faithfully, killed anyone who would not renounce their Christianity. Although Charles saw Christ and Christianity as a path to salvation and eternal life, King Mwanga was blind to anything that came from Europe and threatened his sovereignty. Enraged by the disobedience of his court officials, Mwanga killed Charles and at least fifty other Christians, both Roman Catholic and Anglican, because they refused to let go of something he found threatening. Do we push aside anything or anyone that calls us to change?

Today, ask the Lord to purify your heart so that you might proclaim the gospel with clarity and hope.

What do you think it means to be an everyday martyr? 

Leaving the Security of our own Culture

  "A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, 'We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?'” Acts 23:9

Being a missionary has always been difficult. Reading about the travels and missionary journeys of St Paul demonstrates this in spades. Paul had to leave the comfort and security of a culture, family and religious system that he knew intimately and enter a totally different world asking God to show him the path to integration and transformation. Being confronted directed by Jesus on the road helped, but Paul's conversion would have many iterations and be ongoing for his entire life. 

The best missionaries, like Paul, must be deep listeners, people who sense the goodness of the people to whom they have been sent and slowly discover that God is already present in every culture and people. Women and men missionaries live in gratitude and awe because of the God they encounter in the people to whom they have been sent.

Today, pray for those who face a daily martyrdom in their own homes.

Have you experienced faith in another cultural context? What was it like?

St Justin, Martyr

 "Let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Pt 4:8

No one would suggest that St Justin's love wasn't intense. A philosopher who loved the work of Plato, he was determined to use philosophy as a path to know Christ, and teach the faith with expansive hope. Unafraid to challenge the Roman Senate and Emperor, he begged (some might say demanded) that the Christian life and mission be taken seriously, insisting that even if the Emperor decided to kill him, he could not hurt him since he was protected by the truth. Eventually, his commitment to his faith led to his death by martyrdom.

It is clear in the gospels that Jesus wants little to do with those who are lukewarm. Rather, his message and his life demand extraordinary faith in God and a commitment to a transparent life of service to those most in need. Rooted in the belief that God never abandons his people, even when they worship other gods, the Gospel paints God as a Father waiting for his errant children to return to him, and insists that we find a way to accompany one another despite the cost.

Today, let your love be intense.

What keeps you from loving God and neighbor intensely?

Visitation of Mary

Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 

The LORD has removed the judgment against you, 

He has turned away your enemies."

When we learn that family members or good friends, against whom we have sinned, are willing to forgive us and begin again, it is an occasion for joy. But even if those closest to us reject us, we can, like Mary, live a peaceful life as long as we are willing to let go and trust God to direct our lives towards healing.

It is not difficult to imagine that Mary suffered much rejection when her family and village friends found out she was pregnant. Those closest to her would have known that she had not lived with Joseph, and at the very least would have wondered how and by whom she was pregnant. Having experienced this kind of harsh judgement helps us understand why Mary was so compassionate towards the newly married young couple who were running out of wine, and towards the Apostles who abandoned her Son when he was most in need. 

Mary knew what it was like to be cruelly judged by people looking for her faults, but grace helped her put aside any rejection she felt in order to reach out in compassion for others. Her visit to Elizabeth, which the scripture reminds us she made in haste, assures us that Mary's concern was not for herself, but for Elizabeth, who, like her, was newly pregnant. When Elizabeth praised Mary for being open to the voice of God, Mary sings her glorious Magnificat, a song that celebrates all that God has done for her and the poor everywhere. 

Visit someone today who is not expecting it, even if you can only do it by phone or internet.

What do you most admire about Mary?

Listening to the Holy Spirit

  “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Acts 19:2

Most of us were "catechized" early in life. We learned about the Gospel and its interpretation through a Catholic Christian lens.  We were introduced to the Creed, something not available to Paul or the earliest disciples of Jesus, and we grew in understanding, and occasionally in wisdom. Mostly, as children we grew in loyalty to the Catholic tradition and its beauty, but as we age it is important to be recatechized,  reevangelized, to learn about and be transformed by the Good News as adults.

Acts of the Apostles reminds us that many of the earliest disciples of St Paul, drawn to the mystery of Jesus, needed to learn more about the faith, especially the role of the Holy Spirit, and so do we. Instruction in our faith, utilizing simple and clear methods and language, is fine for children, but as we grow in faith, we need to take more time for prayer and reflection so that we can hear the Holy Spirit and be transformed more deeply into what Pope Francis calls "missionary disciples".  Practically, this means we need to listen quietly to the promptings of the Spirit, test them in conversation with others, and hand ourselves over the Spirit as guide and strength for the journey.

Today, take extra time for quiet, read a few verses of the Scripture, and listen.

Who taught you about the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit in order to grow in faith?