Friar’s Corner: The Holy Spirit has directed the Church since Pentecost
Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23; John 14:23-29
On this Memorial Weekend let us remember and pray for all those who have died trying to keep us safe and more than just the armed forces. Amen.
Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union Soldiers who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored their dead. After World War I, it was extended to include all men and women who died in any war or military action.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. The current name for this day did not come into use until after World War II. Decoration Day and then Memorial Day used to be held on May 30, regardless of the day of the week on which it fell. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed as part of a move to use federal holidays to create three-day weekends. This meant that, from 1971, the Memorial Day holiday has been officially observed on the last Monday in May. However, it took a longer period for all American states to recognize the new date.
Debate about Gentile Christians
The first and gospel readings today present two very important elements for the early Church and some of the struggles we are going through today. Both Sts. Peter and Paul relate how God’s grace had been poured out on the pagan Gentiles (non-Jews) at their preaching. The Holy Spirit fell and miracles happened. The Church in Antioch accepted baptism and eating with these Gentiles, which was not in conformity with Jewish legalism. James’ Jerusalem Church with many Jewish Pharisee converts were insisting on Gentiles following strict Jewish practices.
The first Church council in Jerusalem, about 49 A.D., was convened to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to discuss and make new decisions to lighten the burdens for Gentiles. The question was whether male Gentiles needed to be circumcised to be Christian and saved in Jesus Christ. It also involved Jewish dietary and bad sexual practices in the pagan world. St. Peter and the council elders conveyed their decision by word and writing that: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, 1) to abstain from meat sacrificed to pagan idols, 2) from meats of strangled animals, 3) from unlawful marriage and bad sexual practices. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.” The ease of these new guidelines helped greatly in the spread the “Good News” of salvation throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
Vatican Council II (1962 to 1965), called by Pope St. John XXIII, did a great deal to update the Church and move it into the twentieth century. And now we face even more challenges as we are so attacked on many sides both internally and from without.
God-power through the Holy Spirit
The other really major element in the Gospel of St. John today is the third major teaching of Jesus to his closest followers at the Last Supper from chapter 14 to 17. Jesus continued to teach them about his love for them and all of humanity and the love of our Father God.
Then in Chapter 14, 15 and 16, Jesus showed them that even though he would be leaving them, he and his Father were going to fill his followers with new God-power through the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity. There were two special places where Jesus gave them Holy Spirit power. The first was on Easter evening when, in St. John, Jesus breathed on them, gave them the Holy Spirit and the power to forgive sins. The second outpouring of the Holy Spirit was on Pentecost Sunday when they were set on fire and blown out into the world with power. We are here today because they got set on fire.
Works of the Holy Spirit
Jesus said in John 14:26 today, “This much have I told you while I was still with you; the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my Name, will INSTRUCT you in everything, and REMIND you of all that I told you. Peace is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you.” As we read, think (meditate) and pray about five major works of the Holy Spirit, our minds are filled with God’s understanding and our hearts are pierced with more of God’s love for us.
Briefly, the other major works of the Holy Spirit is that:
1) He teaches us what is God’s TRUTH
2) He enlightenment us and God sends us out into the world to bear witness to Jesus and the Church
3) He proves “the world wrong about sin, justice and condemnation
4) He will ANNOUNCE to us the things to come. We don’t need to read a horoscope or consult fortune tellers.
Go deeper
To help you go deeper, try to attend daily Mass more frequently, our free “daily bread.” That is God’s greatest source of power for us. Then set up a prayer place in your home or apartment where you can read the New Testament and spiritual readings. And get a picture of Divine Mercy and, what I have said before, get a copy of the face of Jesus at, www.truefaceofjesus.com. As you gaze at the Divine Mercy image, open yourself to receive Jesus’ blessing from his raised right hand. Open your hands and extended them to Jesus and feel his loving power flowing into you. You will be amazed at how his loving kindness will lift and fill you with more love, peace and joy. Amen.
It is really amazing. Try it; you will like it. You will be getting “radiation therapy.” It will cause you to glow, radiate, God’s love as you move through your day.
Love and blessings to you and all,
+ Fr. Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com
(© 2019 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)
