by Carol-Ivette Avila Granados
When I read these words my whole day changes, my whole life changes. Life has another meaning.
It is not a coincidence that all Lent and Easter we had to be home more, making our homes a Domestic Church, as we are called to be. And now that Pentecost is today, most Churches have opened. It is amazing how God wants us to TRUST in HIM, wants us to TRULY change our lives, so each one of us can LIVE for Jesus and HE can LIVE in us. He has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. He has not left us orphans, neither yesterday, now, nor in the future. He is always with us, no matter the circumstances.
I can just imagine how the apostles where so frightened that even the doors were not only closed and locked , , but probably with all the locks you can think of. When the Holy Spirit descended over them, they became acompletely different person. I pray that all of us, you and I, can also experience this interior change. I pray that we can Live for Jesus Christ and that He can live in us.
I challenge each one of you to continue to ask the Holy Spirit to renew us and to work on the virtues of the Novena of the Holy Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 22-26)
Charity: A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)- speaking well of others (now that we can receive Christ in the Eucharist make sure our tongue is also pure by speaking well of others…).
Joy: By our joy they will know we’re Christians: “So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” (Matthew 28:8)
Peace: By our peace they will know we’re Christians: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)- let’s give peace in the midsts of hatred. …”Now Jesus showed His disciples the holes in His hands and the wound in His side. Then He said, "Peace be with you" (John 20:21).
Patience: By our patience they will know we’re Christians: “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15)
Kindness: By our kindness they will know we’re Christians: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40).
Faithfulness: By our faithfulness they will know we’re Christians: “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.” (Psalm 26:3)
Gentleness: By our gentleness they will know we’re Christians: “…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,” (Ephesians 4:2)
Self-Control: By our self-control they will know we’re Christians: A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”(Proverbs 25:28)- the amazing part is that God gives us this gift-“ for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Goodness: By our Goodness they will know we’re Christians: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)
I would like to end these reflections with some words from the homily of Bishop Burns in today's solemnity of Pentecost: you can find the whole homily at https://www.cathdal.org
"Wounds (hatred, racism, anger...), they never go away....They won’t go away, but from those wounds we will rise again.
And we will work for that peace as we recognize the need to work for justice, to uphold the dignity of every human life and to recognize that everyone is created in God’s image and that out of the darkness of our lives we are able to see through the eyes of Jesus Christ that whoever is before us is either a brother or a sister. It’s important for us to acknowledge the dignity with which our God created us and then uphold that dignity before all the world.”