In the Power of the Holy Spirit
 

The Jewish Feast of Pentecost was originally a harvest thanksgiving festival. This occasion of gathering to give thanks for the ‘fruits of the earth’ was the chosen moment to send the “Holy Spirit” on Jesus’ chosen followers in the Upper Room. To each is now given a new gift of the Spirit manifested by the gift of tongues, a new universal language of praise transcending language and culture reaching out to the “ends of the earth”. Pentecost brought to us the fruits of the Easter event, the beginning of a new era of the Spirit. “to-day your sent the Holy Spirit on those marked out to be your children” (Preface). Marked out with new powers beginning from our Baptism.

   Gifts:                        Wisdom - Knowledge - Faith

   Services:                 Prophecy - Discernment - Tongues

   Activities:                 Healing - Miracles

All for the good of the community.

The coming of the Holy Spirit is a divine power that continues and completes the ministry of Jesus through

Revealing the mind of Christ (scripture)

Bringing us to wholeness (forgiveness & healing)

Empowering each believer to continue the mission of Jesus.

The ‘spirit’ dwells in us, that divine presence waiting to be manifested through our natural gifts of intellect, of creativity, of personality and of service. The bridge between our natural gifts and the Holy Spirit is prayer

 -          Prayer of quiet acknowledging God’s gift within

-           Prayer of praise acknowledging the glory of God that raised Jesus from the dead

-           Prayer of petition acknowledging God’s desire for wholeness for our world.

The presence of the Spirit is a gift of transformation, transformation of our inner self through our communion with the Father and with Jesus, transformation of our vision for society through a new commitment to justice and service.

                                Fr. Brian Moore, CM.

4th June, 2006