BIG C CATHOLICS

May 26, 2017 Jesus told His disciples to pray together after His Ascension. During this time, Mary and the twelve Apostles prayed in the upper room for the coming of the Paraclete for nine days. When the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:1-4), man was restored to paradise, led back to the Kingdom of heaven, adopted as God's children and granted a share in Christ's grace. These nine days of prayer are the basis of the novenas we pray today. Novena to the Holy Spirit Day 1 Today we pray for Charity Let us bow down in humility at the power and grandeur of the Holy Spirit. Let us worship the Holy Trinity and give glory today to the Paraclete, our Advocate. O Holy Spirit, by Your power, Christ was raised from the dead to save us all. By Your grace, miracles are performed in Jesus’ name. By Your love, we are protected from evil. And so, we ask with humility and a beggar’s heart for Your gift of Charity within us. The great chari

Christ’s assurance to the apostles is from the Last Supper discourses in John . If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.  — John 14: 15-20  ___________________________________________________ Pentecost Collect Prayer Almighty ever-living God, who willed the Paschal Mystery to be encompassed as a sign in fifty days, grant that from out of the scattered nations the confusion of many tongues may be gathered by heavenly grace into one great confession of your name, with the Holy Spirit. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever. Amen.

By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois  The Easter season stretches from Easter Sunday to Pentecost, making up what is known as “The Great 50 Days.” This is a season in which the Church rejoices in and with the resurrected Christ. It is certainly the most festive season of the year as the Church proclaims the Easter Alleluia. Lilies abound in our churches and the baptismal font and the paschal candle are at the center of our Easter celebrations. The faithful renewed their baptismal vows on Easter Sunday and reflects upon them throughout the Easter season. The lighting of the paschal candle, which took place at the Easter Vigil Mass, is a reminder of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is lit at every Mass throughout Easter. It stands as a sentry; one light of hope in a world that is still filled with despair and sin. The readings of the season are from the Acts of the Apostles in which the Church is reminded of its earliest days and called to recommit to the same faith. This is a season i

Saint Thomas, the Apostle who at first did not believe, has become for the Church one of the first and most compelling witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ. His initial skepticism mirrors that of many. May his profession of faith upon touching Our Savior's wounds, "My Lord and my God!", redound through the ages to convince and confirm others that Christ's Incarnation, ministry, and victory over sin and death are empirically and existentially real. Jesus' reply to Thomas, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?" Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed," is less a condemnation of Thomas and more a confirmation of the demands of faith. Among the Apostles, Thomas does not stand out. His knowledge of Jewish scripture and well-formed conscience enabled him to recognize Christ as the Messiah foretold by the Prophets and to follow him as soon as he was called. When Christ traveled the road to Jerusalem to offer himself as a

The Coming of the Spirit. [Acts 2:1-4] 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. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful with your love.

Fr. Charles Irvin Senior Priest Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for today’s readings ) From time to time it is good for us to stand back and look at The Big Picture so I want to begin by doing that as I share some thoughts with you on this Solemnity of Pentecost. In ancient times God approached us through the Jewish prophets and through their major leaders such as Abraham and Moses. It was through Moses that God gave us His Ten Commandments, commandments that allowed us not only to live as God intended us to live but to live with each other in peace and communion. Then in the fullness of time God came to us in His Word made flesh, in His only begotten Son who became man and thus brought the nearness of God into our very own humanity. “ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us ,” reports St. John in the Prologue to his gospel. After He lived among us, suffered and died for us, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, God came to us, and still does even now, in His

[ May 14th is the 9th Day of the Pentecost Novena to the Holy Spirit. ] Imagine you are one of the disciples gathered in the upper room, Acts 1:14 "All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers." You hear something like a mighty wind. You see something like tongues of fire. You feel something happening within you and in the whole group. You do something: you start to speak in ways you have never spoken before. This is a pivotal event in the life of the disciples. The death and resurrection of Jesus were pivotal for their faith. Pentecost is pivotal for their life. Nothing will ever be the same again. ______________________ From a homily by Fr. René Butler, M.S ., Provincial Superior of the La Salette Missionaries of North America, and a contributor to this blog. Novena to the Holy, Spirit Day 9 For the Gift of Goodness Let us bow down in humility at the power and grandeur

The Holy Spirit appeared under the form of tongues of fire in order to fill the Apostles with truth and to prepare them to bear witness to Jesus. He also came to fill their hearts with love. The Holy Spirit is the Person of Love in the life of God. He is an aspiration of infinite Love, from which we draw the breath of life. On the day of Pentecost the Divine Spirit communicated such an abundance of life to the whole Church that to symbolize it "there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they (the Apostles) were sitting." But it is also for us that the Holy Spirit has come, for the group in the Cenacle represented the whole Church. The Holy Spirit came to remain with the Church forever. This is the promise of Jesus Himself. He dwells in the Church permanently and unfailingly, performing in it without ceasing, His action of life-giving and sanctification. He establishes the Church infallibly in the truth. It is He W

"Jesus, who this past Thursday Ascended into Heaven, is coming soon back to us. On Pentecost Sunday He will come into the hearts of the disciples in the Upper Room, bringing them 'His reward', the Holy Spirit, with Him. (St. Paul, incidentally, calls the Holy Spirit the 'down payment' of that reward given to all who follow Jesus in this life. On judgment day, Jesus will 'pay in full' each person according to his or her deeds.) This time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday is kind of a mini-Advent for the Church, it is a time of waiting for God to come to us in a more powerful way." From a homily by Fr. Michael Woolley , a priest in the diocese of Rhode Island and a contributor to this blog. Novena to the Holy Spirit Day 7 For the Gift of Gentleness Let us bow down in humility at the power and grandeur of the Holy Spirit. Let us worship the Holy Trinity and give glory today to the Paraclete, our Advocate. Oh Holy Spirit, by

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body, to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light and listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring his opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me

May 10th is day five of the Novena to the Holy Spirit, the halfway point of our prayer to the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity. As we await Pentecost Sunday, let us trust that God will grant our intentions. Should He not do so, let us not forget that our prayer is always efficacious. God will grant us the graces that redound to our eternal good. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of Your faithful, grant that by that same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Novena to the Holy Spirit, Day 5 Click here to post your prayer intentions and to pray for those of others . For the Gift of Kindness Let us bow down in humility at the power and grandeur of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Remember learning about mixed metaphors, where two or more incompatible images are used to describe one thing? Years ago I saw a cartoon from the New Yorker magazine, where an executive speaking to his staff says, "Gentlemen, I smell a rat. I can feel it in the air. And I will nip it in the bud!" We seem to have a similar confusion about the Holy Spirit, presented in the New Testament as a dove, wind, fire, and called "Paraclete," which in turn is translated sometimes as Comforter and sometimes as Advocate. The hymn "Veni Sancte Spiritus" calls on the Spirit to "melt the frozen, warm the chill," just after describing the Spirit as "Grateful coolness in the heat." But all this isn’t so strange as it might at first appear. The key lies in John 3:8, "The wind blows where it wills… but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes." (See 1 Corinthians 12, Galatians 5:22-23 for just a few ex

The Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire in order to fill the Apostles with truth, to prepare them to bear witness to Christ, and to fill their hearts with love. He is the Person of love in the life of God. He is an aspiration of infinite love, from which we draw the breath of life. The love of the Father for the Son is total. God the Father empties himself completely, holding nothing back from the Son. The love of the Son for the Father is total. God the Son empties himself completely, holding nothing back from the Father. The love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father is God the Holy Spirit. The love that is the exchange of Persons between Father and Son is the life that is the Spirit, with no beginning and no end. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to remain with the Church forever. This is the promise of Jesus himself. He dwells in the Church permanently without ceasing his action of life-giving and sanctification. He preserves the Church's infallibly i

After Jesus' Ascension into heaven, his disciples came together in the upper room to devote themselves to constant prayer (Acts 1:14). They prayed for nine days before receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. On May 4, 1897, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed: "We decree and command that throughout the whole Church, this year and in every subsequent year, a novena shall take place before Pentecost in all parish churches." Pope John Paul II reiterated Pope Leo’s command for a worldwide Pentecost novena, although the novena can be prayed at any time — not only before Pentecost. Try to go to Mass daily throughout the novena and pray for the outpouring of the Spirit. If you are unable to attend Mass, read and reflect upon the daily readings. Source: Pentecost Novena PDF from Mount Saint Peter Church in New Kensington, Pennsylvania Click here to post your prayer intentions and to pray for those of others . Novena to the Holy Spirit, Day 3 For the Gift of Peace Let us bo

The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of our Lord himself when he sent his apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light, strength and love needed by every Christian. Click here to post your prayer intentions and to pray for those of others . Novena to the Holy Spirit, Day 2 For the Gift of Joy Let us bow down in humility at the power and grandeur of the Holy Spirit. Let us worship the Holy Trinity and give glory today to the Paraclete, our Advocate. Oh Holy Spirit, by Your power, Christ was raised from the dead to save us all. By Your grace, miracles are performed in Jesus’ name. By Your love, we are protected from evil. And so, we ask with humility and a beggar’s heart for Your gift of Joy within us. All of th

The Pentecost novena is the original novena. After Christ's ascension into heaven, the disciples prayed for nine days for the Spirit to descend. On the tenth day, Pentecost Sunday, they received the Holy Spirit as promised by our Lord. According to Father Michael Woolley, this period of prayer is a "little advent": The Disciples of Jesus waited those 9 days for the Holy Spirit with the blazing light of the Gospel to see by – while they waited in the Upper Room they reflected and prayed on the teachings and mighty deeds of Jesus, on His Passion and Death, on His Resurrection and Ascension, all of which enlightened their hearts and flooded the Old Testament Scriptures with light, revealing the hidden meaning of the Old Testament. (This is why during this "little advent" we’re now in, we don’t wear dark Purple but bright White Vestments.)  The Holy Spirit is a powerful advocate. Like the disciples, let us pray to the Holy Spirit for the intentions that resi

Pentecost is one of the most important feasts in the liturgical calender, celebrated on the 49th day (7 weeks) after Easter Sunday - or the 50th day inclusively. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday. Historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot or the day, fifty days after the Exodus, on which God gave the Ten Command-ments at Mount Sinai. Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as "the Church's birthday". The story is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, ( Acts 2:1 – 4 ) "On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled o

Order out of confusion Fr. Rene Butler Remember learning about mixed metaphors, where two or more incompatible images are used to describe one thing? Years ago I saw a cartoon from the New Yorker magazine, where an executive speaking to his staff says, “Gentlemen, I smell a rat. I can feel it in the air. And I will nip it in the bud!” We seem to have a similar confusion about the Holy Spirit, presented in the New Testament as a dove, wind, fire, and called “Paraclete,” which in turn is translated sometimes as Comforter and sometimes as Advocate. The hymn “Veni Sancte Spiritus” calls on the Spirit to “melt the frozen, warm the chill,” just after describing the Spirit as “Grateful coolness in the heat.” But all this isn’t so strange as it might at first appear. The key lies in John 3:8 , “The wind blows where it wills… but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.” (See 1 Corinthians 12 , Galatians 5:22-23 for just a few examples.) The Spirit is “spontaneous,” un