We Need the Holy Spirit
Pentecost Sunday
“Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”Ps. 104
Leprosy causes numbness. Those who suffer from it lose sensitivity and can no longer feel warmth or touch. In a similar way, the soul without the Holy Spirit can become spiritually numb: unable to love, unable to feel compassion, indifferent to the suffering of others, and even unconcerned about the burdens it places on those around it. Some hearts become so wounded that they no longer recognize the warmth of love, nor care what others think or feel.
Another consequence of leprosy was isolation. Lepers were separated from the community to prevent contagion. In much the same way, many souls without the Holy Spirit isolate themselves. They withdraw from others, hide in their own inner rooms and caves, and especially in our age of mass media and constant screens, become trapped in virtual networks while losing real human connection and authentic love.
Today more than ever, the Gospel phrase, “they left their nets and followed Him,” speaks powerfully to us. We too must leave behind the addictions, attachments, and distractions that distance us from others and imprison us within ourselves. Otherwise, we become entangled like a fly caught in a spider’s web.
WITHOUT THE SPIRIT, we become spiritually insensitive — unable to receive or give true love. We forget our calling to be a blessing to others. The selfish and disordered heart lives according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit. WITHOUT THE SPIRIT, a person no longer wants to be healed of spiritual blindness or leprosy. Sin be- comes comfortable, even beloved, like an addiction.
It is like a man whose hands were bound, but who was convinced that this was better for him, because then he could not commit the wrongs done by those with free hands. In the same way, many people settle into spiritual captivity rather than accepting the freedom and transformation God offers.
We cannot free ourselves from sin by our own strength. We need the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Only He can restore our sight, heal our hearts, and lead us into the fullness of truth.
The ego resists change. It clings to comfort, routine, and familiar habits. It does not want to be challenged, transformed, or stretched toward growth. As the saying goes: “Better the evil we know than the good we do not know.”
As Saint Paul writes in First Epistle to the Corinthians:
“The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him; and he is not able to understand them because only spiritually can be known.”Corinthians 2:14
Pentecost Prayer
Come Holy Spirit,
Descend upon us and fill us with the fire of Your love!
Remind us of Your dreams for us, ignite us with new zeal, place new visions on our hearts, and the grace to work alongside You.
Amen.
Why do we celebrate pentecost when we do?
The book of Acts unpacks the events immediately following Jesus’ ascension into heaven. The Apostles and other disciples were told to pray in Jerusalem and await another outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As the weeks ticked on, the Jewish Festival of Weeks approached. This festival took place 50 days after Passover and celebrated the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. The Festival of Weeks (or “Pentecost” in Greek) was a great pilgrimage feast, with Jews from all over the ancient world convening on Jerusalem for the celebration.
It was on Pentecost that God chose to send the Holy Spirit. Here, the new law of love was etched into the hearts of the disciples. As he burst out onto the balcony above the multinational crowd, Peter proclaimed the message of the resurrection, and the Holy Spirit enabled every listener to hear in their native language. 3,000 people were baptized that day! The disciples — and every baptized person — receives the gifts and zeal necessary to bring a new message of salvation to the people of God.
Devotions, Explained! – Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help refers both to a title conferred upon the Blessed Mother as well as to a corresponding icon that dates to the late Middle Ages.
Painted on wood, the original icon has a Byzantine style and depicts the Blessed Mother holding the Christ Child. She is flanked by St. Michael and St. Gabriel, who hold the instruments of Christ’s passion, including a spear, nails and the Crown of Thorns. In the image, Christ seemingly leans into his mother’s embrace for comfort and strength as he contemplates these objects.
The icon is thought to have originated in Crete, but for 300 years was venerated in the Church of San Matteo in Merulana in Rome. Blessed Pope Pius IX entrusted the image to the Order of Redemptorists, who moved it to the Church of St. Alphonsus. He later established the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on June 27.
Readings of the Week
Sunday: Vigil: Gn 11:1-9 or Ex 19:3-8a, 16-20b or Ez 37:1-14 or Jl 3:1-5/Ps 104:1-2, 24 and 35, 27-28, 29b-30/Rom 8:22-27/Jn 7:37-39 or, for the Extended Vigil: Gn 11:1-9/Ex 19:3-8a, 16-20b/Ez 37:1-14/Jl 3:1-5/Rom 8:22-27/ Jn 7:37-39 (see Lectionary for Mass Supplement, 62) Day: Acts 2:1-11/Ps 104:1 and 24, 29-30, 31 and 34/1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13/Jn 20:19-23
Monday: Gn 3:9-15, 20 or Acts 1:12-14/Ps 87:1-2, 3 and 5, 6-7/Jn 19:25-34
Tuesday: 1 Pt 1:10-16/ Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4/ Mk 10:28-31
Wednesday: 1 Pt 1:18-25/ Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20/ Mk 10:32-45
Thursday: 1 Pt 2:2-5, 9-12/ Ps 100:2, 3, 4, 5/ Mk 10:46-52
Friday: 1 Pt 4:7-13/ Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13/Mk 11:11-26
Saturday: Jude 17, 20b-25/ Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6/ Mk 11:27-33
Next Sunday: Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9/Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56/2 Cor 13:11-13/Jn 3:16-18
Celebrations of the Week
Sunday: Pentecost Sunday
Monday: Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
Tuesday: Saint Philip Neri, Priest
Wednesday: Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop
Friday: Saint Paul VI, Pope
Next Sunday: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
