Ascent to the Upper Room

From my room to the Upper Room. Come Holy Spirit, come!

From the Ascension to Pentecost While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; …… in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.” Vs. 4&5 But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses …… to the ends of the earth. Vs. 8 When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, …… all these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. Vs. 13&14 What a significant and important period of time this is, from the Ascension to Pentecost. Why? Firstly, it is a direct instruction from the Lord. “Go and prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit.”   Recall these words from Jesus: “I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” Jo. 15:5.  This is critical, for without this communion with Jesus, our religious efforts remain just that, our efforts. We may look the part, but there will be no real fruit. There is more to authentic religion than just looking the part. To be authentic it must be alive, an ongoing, daily, person to person relationship with Jesus. More than merely taking the talk, it must be walking the walk, with Him. Anyone can claim the name Christian when convenient, but does Jesus known that person? Consider these words of Jesus recorded in Matthew; “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Mtt. 7:21-23 So how do I know where I stand? “You'll recognize them by their fruit.” Mtt. 7:16 You must put your Christian life to the test, the test of discernment. In what ways do I manifest the "Fruits of the Spirit", in my daily life. Traditionally they are identified as: Charity + Generosity + Joy + Gentleness + Peace + Faithfulness + Patience + Modesty + Kindness + Self-control + Goodness + Chastity. We have already referred to this text in Acts, While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came down to Ephesus where he found some disciples. He said to them, “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: We may say we have heard of the Holy Spirit, but how well do we know the Spirit? Let this be the focus of our prayer as we lead up to Pentecost. The following is a link to a concordance of scriptures under the heading Holy Spirit. Ask the Spirit to guide you to which of the passages that will most benefit your prayer at this time.  [... LINK ...]

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Pentecost + Baptism in the Holy Spirit + Grace of Renewal

Throughout these days that began with Easter, the liturgy of the Word has taken us on a journey through the Acts of the Apostles, recounting how the coming of the Holy Spirit transformed the lives of those who were the first Church. From being known as Jesus Disciples to Followers of the Way, to Christians, their new identity unfolded. It is important for us to realize, that our baptism unites us to this dynamic history. Today, we are the continuation of that same Church, the work of the Holy Spirit in this generation. That work of the Holy Spirit today is essentially the same as it was on that first Pentecost - breathing New Life (supernatural life of the Spirit) into each new member; uniting us to Christ and to the Communion of Saints. The manifestation of this reality also remains essentially the same, the same gifts and fruits of the Spirit continue to be given, equipping us for our participation in the work of the Spirit in the world today. On October 16, 1979, Pope John Paul II gave the Church an extraordinary document, the APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION, ON CATECHESIS IN OUR TIME. In paragraph #19, Pope John Paul lays out the distinction between "initiation" into the Faith, that is personal belief and "attachment" to the Person of Jesus, and catechesis which is the ongoing formation and maturing in the message of the gospel.  Again, many pre-adolescents and adolescents who have been baptized and been given a systematic catechesis and the sacraments still remain hesitant for a long time about committing their whole lives to Jesus Christ - if, moreover, they do not attempt to avoid religious education in the name of their freedom. Finally, even adults are not safe from temptations to doubt or to abandon their faith, especially as a result of their unbelieving surroundings. This means that "catechesis" must often concern itself not only with nourishing and teaching the faith, but also with arousing it unceasingly with the help of grace, with opening the heart, with converting, and with preparing total adherence to Jesus Christ on the part of those who are still on the threshold of faith. This concern will in part decide the tone, the language and the method of catechesis. #19 How well this applies to our generation. The expression, "... as long as you are a good person ..." is not the same as a "devout" Catholic.  The Easter cycle is drawing to its end. It has been a time to rediscover a strong and true faith in the person, Jesus Christ, to have the gift of faith, given in baptism, born anew in the fire of the Holy Spirit; to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. PRAYERFUL WAITING UPON THE HOLY SPIRIT Resourses for your personal prayer Novena to the Holy Spirit. (Begins this year, Friday May 6th. [...LINK...]  Guide to praying for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Grace of Renewal. [... LINK ...]

Preparing for a New Pentecost

Easter Time runs from Easter to Pentecost. During these days, the liturgy takes for its first reading, texts from the Acts of the Apostles. It begins by recalling the forty days after the resurrection that Jesus spent appearing to his disciples, up to his ascension. At this point, the disciples are instructed: not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for, “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; … in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.” After the Ascension, they entered the city, went to the upper room where they were staying, and devoted themselves with one accord to prayer. I have said much about “Baptism In the Holy Spirit” throughout this blog. In this post, I will provide links to some of these references. In one of the parishes in which I served, I develop a yearlong series of Eucharistic Devotions that were devoted to prayer for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The complete series was recorded, 13 in all, and I have them posted on this blog. I would like to suggest that you might find in them, especially #10, #11, #12, #13, a unique resource for a prayerful preparation for Pentecost. Each is just over one hour in length, complete with music, scripture, meditation and instruction; as well as the printed text of the group prayers. These recordings are primarily a “listening” experience. You might think of yourself as now being there, joining with those who first gathered in the presence of the Eucharist, seeking the gift of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The recordings are of good quality, so you might want to choose a listening device that will compliment your listening experience. You might also consider the time and place that will provide an environment free from interruption. May it be a true prayer experience, rich in God’s grace, for you. Here is the link to the Eucharistic Devotions Page. [… LINK …]

In Acts, there are five accounts of the actual moment when those praying, received the Baptism In the Holy Spirit. In the year, 2013, Our posts, that followed Easter, included meditations on these passages, as well as prayers for the Baptism of the Spirit. On the Special Series Page, I have listed the links to these posts.  Special Series Page [… LINK …]

Fifty Days to Pentecost

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Luke tells us in the opening chapter of the book of Acts, that there was a period of forty days from Jesus resurrection to his ascension. During those forty days, he tells us, “He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” These where important days of formation, giving the disciples a new understanding of what the resurrection from the dead really was. At that time, among the Jews, there were two schools of thought about the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees taught that there was no resurrection of the dead. The Pharisees taught that a time was to come when the bones of the dead would take on living flesh once again, and people would leave their graves and resume a life in this world. (Ezekiel ch. 37) Jesus appearances clearly demonstrated that there is a resurrection of the dead, but that there was an entirely new nature to that resurrected existence; no longer subject to the laws of nature as they are presently understood. (They could see, hear, and touch Jesus, yet he would appear and disappear, enter rooms with locked doors.) The real "breath", that gives life to resurrected bodies is the Breath of the Holy Spirit.  (Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to life. Ez. 37:5) John's gospel speaks of this new breath promised, now being fulfilled: Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Jo. 20:21 Pope Francis In the baptism rite of the 1950's as the priest received the child for baptism, he would breath lightly, three times into the face of the child saying:  “Depart from him (her) unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit, the Consoler.” Today, at the Chrism Mass, as the bishop blesses the Oil of Chrism, the ritual directs that he breath over the opening of the vessel containing the oil of chrism. Fire is the most common symbol associated with Pentecost and the presence of Holy Spirit, but the breath of wind is no less significant. In John Jesus says of the coming of the Spirit: “What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jo. 3:6-8 Acts' account of Pentecost begins:  “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.” Acts 1:1 Wind or breath are invisible, it is their effects that signal their presence. So it is with the presence of the spirit within the soul of one who claims to be a believer. During these fifty days leading up to the feast of Pentecost, our focus in prayer will be on the evidence of the presence of the Spirit in our personal lives.  In Acts 19: we read: He said to them, “Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a holy Spirit.” He said, “How were you baptized?” They replied, “With the baptism of John.” “Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Acts 19:2-6 Many believers site their baptism as evidence of the presence of the Spirit in their lives. Pope John Paul, in his document on Catechesis 1979, points out that some who are baptized are yet to respond to the presence of the Spirit received in baptism. [JOHN PAUL II, ON CATECHESIS IN OUR TIME #19 ] In these next weeks leading up to Pentecost, the question is put to us; "Did you receive the Holy spirit when you became a believer?"

• The 13 part series, "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" 

• The 14 part video series from Franciscan University, Steubenville OH. [... LINK ...]

Baptism In the Holy Spirit - Two

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Jn. 20:19

PENTECOST When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And 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. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Acts 2:1

PRAYER FOR THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Jesus my Lord, I confess to you and to all the world  my need for your presence in my life.  I am alone and in darkness without you.  I am influenced and controlled by the many forces that surround me.  Even though I struggle against them, it is sin that so easily dominates my life. Who can save me but you alone, my Lord and my God.  Deliver me from the Evil One.  Touch my life with that power which flows from your resurrection.  Cause your Holy Spirit to be born in me anew.  Prince of Peace and Lord of Glory / reign now in my heart.  Baptize me with your Holy Spirit and Fire.  Raise me up to a New Life in you. (From the Eucharistic Devotions)

PRAYING WITH MARY ON PENTECOST

Holy Mary Mother of God, on Pentecost Day you gathered all the friends of Jesus in that meeting room of prayer.  Jesus had instructed that all must come together in prayer, to wait in trusting hope for the Promised One to come.  In the mystery of God’s grace, let us gather with you now.  We desire with all our hearts that the Anointing of Pentecost may come upon us once again.  Pray for us dear Mary, that the Mighty Wind of God’s Breath will come and fill our house of prayer.  Pray that Jesus your Son will send down upon us now, those tongues of flame, to enkindle in our hearts the fire of love and the light of faith.  Pray that our tongues be freed so that we might fill this house with the praises of God.  Pray O Queen of heaven that the Holy Spirit will give to our hearts a song of joy and thanksgiving for His mighty works now done in our midst. Come Holy Spirit, come.  Come down upon us now. Melt our frozen hearts, reshape our distorted minds renew our sagging spirits with your Breath of Life. (From the Eucharistic Devotions)

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Chaplet

for the

GRACE of RENEWAL

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Prayers from the Mass of the Vigil of Pentecost Dear brethren (brothers and sisters), we have now begun our Pentecost Vigil, after the example of the Apostles and disciples, who with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, persevered in prayer, awaiting the Spirit promised by the Lord; like them, let us, too, listen with quiet hearts to the Word of God. Let us meditate on how many great deeds God in times past did for his people and let us pray that the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sent as the first fruits for those who believe, may bring to perfection his work in the world. Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the splendor of your glory may shine forth upon us and that, by the bright rays of the Holy Spirit, the light of your light may confirm the hearts of those born again by your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.