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the holy spirit

June 1, 2015

"OPEN TO ALL"

The Church is not born isolated, she is born universal, one, and Catholic, with a precise identity, open to all, not closed, an identity which embraces the entire world, excluding no one. Mother Church closes her door in the face of no one, no one! Not even to the greatest sinner, to no one! This is through the power, through the grace of the Holy Spirit. Mother Church opens, opens wide her doors to everyone because she is mother.

"A NEW SEASON"

The Holy Spirit at Pentecost pours into the hearts of the disciples and begins a new season, the season of testimony and fraternity. It is a season which comes from above, comes from God, like the tongues of fire that rest on the head of each disciple.

"THE FLAME OF LOVE"

It was the flame of love which burns all harshness; it was the tongue of the Gospel which surpasses manmade borders and reaches the hearts of the multitudes without distinction of language, race or nationality.

"POURED OUT CONSTANTLY"

...The Holy Spirit is poured out constantly even today on the Church and on each one of us so we may step outside our mediocrity and our imperviousness and communicate to the entire world the merciful love of the Lord.

"PROCLAIM JESUS RISEN"

We too have been given the gift of the "tongue" of the Gospel and the "fire" of the Holy Spirit, so that while we proclaim Jesus risen, living and present in our midst, we may warm our heart and also the heart of the peoples drawing near to Him, the way, truth and life.

ENTRUST YOURSELF TO MARY

Let us entrust ourselves to the maternal intercession of Mary Most Holy, who was present as Mother in the midst of the disciples in the Upper Room: she is the mother of the Church, the mother of Jesus became mother of the Church. Let us entrust ourselves to her that the Holy Spirit may descend in abundance upon the Church of our time, fill the hearts of the faith and kindle in them the fire of His love.

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS

...The world needs the courage, hope, faith and perseverance of Christ's followers. The world needs the fruits, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as Saint Paul lists them: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal 5:22).

"THE WORKS OF JUSTICE AND PEACE"

The gift of the Holy Spirit has been bestowed upon the Church and upon each one of us, so that we may lead lives of genuine faith and active charity, so that we may sow the seeds of reconciliation and peace. Strengthened by the Spirit who guides us into the truth, who renews us and the whole earth and who give us His fruits strengthened in the Spirit and by these many gifts, may we be able to battle uncompromisingly against sin, to battle uncompromisingly against corruption which continues to spread in the world day after day, by devoting ourselves with patient perseverance to the works of justice and peace.

(Source: Homily, Pentecost Mass, 5/24,2015; regina caeli, 5/24/2015)