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 2:1-4)
The place where Jesus had his Last Supper,
and washed the feet of the disciples.
The place where Jesus instituted the priesthood,
and instituted the Eucharist.
The place where the Holy Spirit
came upon the disciples
on the day of Pentecost.
"Do not grow weary of turning to Heaven: the world stands in need of prayer. It needs men and women who feel the attraction of Heaven in their life, who make praise to the Lord a new way of life. And may you be joyful Christians! I entrust you all to Mary Most Holy, present in the Upper Room at the event of Pentecost. Persevere with her in prayer, walk guided by the light of the living Holy Spirit, proclaiming the Good News of Christ." _ Address of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to Charismatic Catholics on May 26, 2012
Vigil of Pentecost with Pope Francis at Circus Maximus on the Occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Catholic Charismatic Renewal
(June 3, 2017)
Vigil of Pentecost with Pope Francis
Circus Maximus, Rome
Part 1 of 2
Vigil of Pentecost with Pope Francis
Circus Maximus, Rome
Part 2 of 2
The following is the text of the Holy Father's address to 35,000 Catholic Charismatics at Circus Maximus:
Brothers and sisters, thank you for your witness today, here: thank you! It is good for all of us, it is good for me, for all!
In the first chapter of the book of the Acts of the Apostles we read that: “And while staying with them He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1: 4-5).
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2: 1-4).
Today we are here, as in an open-air Cenacle, because we are not afraid: in the open air, and also with a heart open to the promise of the Father. We are gathered, “all believers”, all those who profess that Jesus is the Lord. Many have come from different parts of the world and the Holy Spirit has gathered us to establish bonds of fraternal friendship that encourage us on the path to unity, unity for the mission: not to be static, no! for the mission, to proclaim that Jesus is the Lord – Jesús es el Señor – to announce together the love of the Father for all His children! To announce the Good News to all peoples! To demonstrate that peace is possible. It is not so easy to demonstrate to this, today’s world, that peace is possible, but in the name of Jesus we can show with our witness that peace is possible! But it is possible only if we are at peace among ourselves. If we accentuate our differences, we are at war with each other and we cannot proclaim peace. Peace is possible starting from our confession that Jesus is the Lord and from our evangelization on this road. It is possible. While showing that we have differences – but this is obvious, we have differences – but that we wish to be a reconciled diversity. Here, we must not forget this phrase, but say it to everyone: reconciled diversity. And this phrase is not mine, it is not mine. It is from a Lutheran brother. Reconciled diversity.
And now we are here, and there are many of us! We managed to pray together, to ask the coming of the Holy Spirit upon each one of us to go out into the streets of the city and of the world, to proclaim the lordship of Jesus Christ.
The book of the Acts affirms that we are “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2: 9-11). Speaking in the same language, listening, understanding… There are differences, but the Spirit enables us to understand the message of the resurrection of Jesus in our own language.
We are gathered here, believers from 120 countries in the world, to celebrate the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, that took the initiative fifty years ago and gave rise to … an institution? No. An organization? No. To a current of grace, to the current of grace of Catholic Charismatic Renewal. A work that was born … Catholic? No. It was born ecumenical! It was born ecumenical because it is the Holy Spirit that creates unity and the same Holy Spirit that gave the inspiration for it to be thus! It is important to read the works of Cardinal Suenens on this: it is very important!
The coming of the Holy Spirit transforms men wrapped up in fear into courageous witnesses of Jesus. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, full of the strength of the Holy Spirit proclaims: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus Whom you crucified” (Acts 2: 36). And this is the profession of faith of every Christian. God constituted as Lord and Christ that Jesus Whom you have or has been crucified. Do you agree on this profession of faith? [Answer: “yes”]. It is ours, everyone’s, all of us, the same!
The Word continues, saying, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2: 44-47). The community was growing, and it was the Spirit that inspired it. I like very much to think of Philip, when the Angel said to him, “Go on the road to Gaza and find the proselyte, minister of economy of the Queen of Ethiopia, Candace. He was a proselyte and was reading Isaiah. And Philip explained the Word to him, proclaimed Jesus, and the man converted. And at a certain point, he said, “But here there is water: I want to be baptized”. It was the Spirit that drove Philip to go there, and from the beginning it was that the Spirit that drove all believers to proclaim the Lord.
Today we have chosen to gather here, in this place – as Pastor Traettino said – because here during the persecutions, Christians were martyred for the enjoyment of those who were watching. Today there are more martyrs than yesteryear! Today there are more martyrs, Christians. Those who kill Christians, before killing them, do not ask, “Are you Orthodox? Are you Catholic? Are you Evangelical? Are you Lutheran? Are you Calvinist?” No. “Are you Christian?” “Yes” – then your throat is cut, immediately. Today there are more martyrs than in the early times. And this is the ecumenism of blood: we are united by the witness of our martyrs of today. In several parts of the world Christian blood is being shed! Today the unity of Christians, united by the work of the Holy Spirit, in prayer and in action for the weakest, is more urgent than ever. Walk together, work together. Love each other. Love each other. And together seek to explain the differences, agree, but on the path! If we stay still, without walking, we will never, ever agree. This is how it is, because the Holy Spirit wants us to be on the move.
Fifty years of Catholic Charismatic Renewal. A current of grace of the Spirit! And why a current of grace? Because it has neither a founder, nor statutes, nor organs of governance. Clearly in these current multiple expressions have been born that are certainly human works inspired by the Spirit, with various charisms, and all in the service of the Church. But this current cannot be dammed, nor can the Holy Spirit be enclosed in a cage!
Fifty years have passed. When we reach this age, perhaps our strengths begin to decline. It is the halfway point in life – in my homeland we call it “el cinquentazo” – wrinkles become deeper – unless you make yourself up, but the wrinkles are there – the grey hairs increase in number, and we begin to forget certain things…
Fifty years is a good moment in life to stop and reflect. It is the moment for reflection: halfway through life. And I would say to you: it is the moment to go ahead with greater strength, leaving behind the dust of time that w have allowed to accumulate, being thankful for what we have received and facing the new with trust in the action of the Holy Spirit!
Pentecost enabled the birth of the Church. The Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father announced by Jesus Christ, it is He Who makes the Church: the Bride of the Apocalypse, a single bride! As Pastor Traettino said: the Lord has one bride!
The most precious gift that we have all received is baptism. And now the Spirit leads us on the path of conversion that all the Christian world follows, and which is another reason why Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a special place for following the way towards unity!
This current of grace is for all the Church, not just for some, and no-one among us is the “master” and all the others servants. No. We are all servants of this current of grace.
Together with this experience, you continually remind the Church of the power of prayer and praise. Praise which is the prayer of acknowledgment and thanksgiving for the gratuitous love of God. It may be that not everyone likes this form of prayer, but it is certainly fully integrated in the biblical tradition. The Psalms, for example: David who danced before the Ark of the Covenant, full of jubilation … and please, let us not fall into the trap of the attitude of Christians with the “Michal complex”, named after she who was ashamed of how David praised God [dancing before the Ark].
Jubilation, cheer, joy, fruit of the same action of the Holy Spirit! Either the Christian experiences joy in his or her heart, or there is something wrong. The joy of the announcement of the Good News of the Gospel!
Jesus in the Synagogue of Nazareth reads the passage of Isaiah. He reads. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor” (cf. Lk 4:18-19; Is 61: 1-2). The good news: do not forget this. The good, the joyful news: the Christian proclamation is always joyful.
The third document of Malines, “Charismatic Renewal and Service to Man”, written by Cardinal Suenens and Dom Helder Camara, is clear: charismatic renewal and also service to man.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit, praise, service to man. The three things are indissolubly joined. I can praise profoundly, but if I do not help those most in need, it is not enough. “There was not a needy person among them” (Acts 4: 34), said the Book of the Acts.
We will not be judged for our praise but for how much we have done for Jesus. But Lord, when did we do this for You? “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers” (cf. Mt. 25: 39-40).
Dear sisters and dear brothers, I wish you a time of reflection, of remembrance of your origins; a time to leave behind all the things added by the self and transform them into listening and joyful welcome of the action of the Holy Spirit, which breathes where and how He wishes!
I thank the Catholic Fraternity and the ICCRS for organizing this Golden Jubilee, for this Vigil. And I thank each one of the volunteers who have made this possible, many of whom are here. I wanted to greet the members of staff of the office when I arrived, because I know they have worked hard! And without payment! They have worked a lot. The majority are young people from various continents. May the Lord bless you.
I am thankful in particular for the fact that the request I made to you two years ago to give the Charismatic Renewal worldwide a single international service based here has started to take shape in the Constitutive Acts of this new single service. It is the first step; others will follow, but soon unity, the work of the Holy Spirit, will be a reality. “Behold, I am making all things new”, says the Lord (Rev. 21: 5).
Thank you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, for what you have given the Church in these fifty years! The Church counts on you, on your fidelity to the Spirit, on your willingness to serve and your witness of lives transformed by the Holy Spirit!
Share with all in the Church the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, praise the Lord ceaselessly, walk together with Christians of different Churches and Christian communities in prayer and in action for those most in need. Serve the poorest and the sick, this is what the Church and the Pope expect of you, Catholic Charismatic Renewal, but from all of you: all, all of you who have entered in this current of grace! Thank you.
The following is the text of Father Cantalamessa's address:
Father Cantalamessa began his meditation with a reading of the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The following translation includes both the reading and some excerpts of his meditation.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:5-13)
This scene is repeating itself among us today. We too have come “from every nation under heaven,” and we are here to proclaim together “the mighty works of God.” There is, however, something else to discover in this part of the story of Pentecost. Since ancient times it has been understood that the author of Acts—and this means first of all the Holy Spirit!— through this insistence on the phenomenon of tongues, wanted to make us understand, that at Pentecost something takes place that reverses what happened at Babel. The Spirit transforms the linguistic chaos of Babel into a new harmony of voices. This explains why the account of Babel in Genesis 11 is traditionally inserted among the biblical readings for the Pentecost Vigil.
The builders of Babel were not, as it was once thought, wicked people who intended to defy God, a kind of equivalent of the Titans of Greek mythology. No, they were pious and religious people. The tower they wanted to construct was a temple to the divinity, one of those temples with layered terraces called ziggurat, whose ruins can still be found in Mesopotamia. What then was their sin? Let us listen to what they said among themselves when they started to work on it: “They said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth’” (Gen 11:4).
Martin Luther makes an illuminating observation about these words: “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower”: let us build it for ourselves, not for God. . . . “Let us make a name for ourselves”: let us do it for ourselves. The people take no concern for the name of God to be glorified; they are concerned with making their own name great.
In other words, God is being exploited; he must serve their desire for power. They perhaps thought, according to the mindset at that time, that by offering sacrifices from a great height they could win victories from the divinity over the neighboring peoples. This is the reason God was forced to confound their languages and derail their project.
This suddenly brings the matter of Babel and its builders very close to us. How many of the divisions among Christians have been due to a secret desire to make a name for ourselves, to elevate ourselves above others, to relate to God from a superior position in comparison to others! How many have been due to the desire to make a name for ourselves or for our own church more than for God! This is where our Babel comes from!
Let us turn now to Pentecost. Here too we see a group of men, the apostles, who are preparing to build a tower that goes from earth to heaven, the Church. At Babel they still spoke one single language, but at a certain point people no longer understood one another; at Pentecost all the people are speaking different languages, but everyone understands the apostles. Why? It is because the Holy Spirit had brought about a Copernican revolution in them.
Before this moment the apostles were also preoccupied with making a name for themselves, and they often discussed “who among them was the greatest.” Now the Holy Spirit has shifted their focus away from themselves and refocused them on Christ. The heart of stone has been shattered, and in its place beats “a heart of flesh” (Ezek 36:26). As Jesus had promised before leaving them, they were “baptized in the Holy Spirit” (see Act 1:5-8), that is, they were completely submerged in the ocean of God’s love that was poured out upon them (see Rom 5:5).
They are dazzled by the glory of God. Their speaking in diverse languages can also be explained by the fact that they were speaking with their eyes, with their faces, with their hands, with the amazement of people who have seen things too lofty to put in words. “We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” The reason they all understood the apostles is that they were no longer speaking about themselves but about God!
God is calling us to bring about that same conversion in our lives: a conversion from ourselves to God, from the smaller unity of our parish, our movement, our own church, to the greater unity that is the unity of the whole body of Christ, indeed of all of humanity. It is the bold step that Pope Francis is urging us Catholics to take and that representatives of other churches assembled here demonstrate they want to share!
- Translated by Aleteia
The Wild Goose was a term that the ancient Celts had for the Holy Spirit, and apart from the Wild Goose there is no life.
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 8 THE SPIRIT AND THE SACRAMENTS
“Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other sacraments.” _ Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213 "The Sacraments are always an encounter with the Holy Spirit and each and every time we come to the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit is present. Often times when we think of the Holy Spirit and His work in the Sacraments we only think of Confirmation. This is great, but the Holy Spirit is present in all of them. In this segment we will look at how the Holy Spirit is present in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Marriage and how this can impact your life."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 9 THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control... If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit." (Galatians 5:22-25) "By the way we live and how we treat people, our lives produce some type of fruit. The sort of fruit our lives produce has eternal consequences for us personally as well as a profound impact on those people we love. In fact, our fruit impacts all of our relationships, from the most casual to the most intimate. When we live animated by the Holy Spirit, our lives produce fruit that not only makes our own life more peaceful, patient, and loving but also influences positively those whom we encounter each and every day."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 10 THE SPIRIT AND THE DESERT
“[Jesus] was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the Devil.” (Luke 4:1) "On the day Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit anointed Him. Immediately after this event the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert. The desert was a place of isolation, death and defeat but Jesus was led to the desert so that it may be forever changed. So that it may be a place of grace. The Spirit led Jesus to the desert and also protected and cared for Him while He was there. The desert is a part of every Christian’s life but it does not have to be a place of despair or isolation. The Holy Spirit is present to life’s deserts and when we experience His presence, it changes our spiritual life. The desert is no longer a place to be feared, but can be a profound encounter with Jesus."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 11 THE SPIRIT CONVICTS
“And when He comes He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in Me.” (John 16:8) "Pope Francis has stated that we must stop 'masquerading before God' in relation to our sin. We must take seriously the reality and nature of sin and the impact that sin has in our lives. It is not an exaggeration to say that our attitude towards sin has eternal consequence. Sin wounds and at times destroys our relationship with Christ. The Spirit of God convicts us of our sin, not to condemn us but to convert us. In this segment we will see how the Spirit draws us closer to Christ by revealing to us our sin."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 12 THE SPIRIT'S FREEDOM
“When the Son sets you free you are free indeed.” (John 8:36) "The Holy Spirit brings freedom from fear, anger, and the past. So often Christians find themselves bound by so many things and are not aware that the Holy Spirit wants to bring the freedom of God to them. Many are slaves to anger, envy, jealousy, comparisons, and addictions. You do not have to live life like that. In this segment we will discuss how the Holy Spirit can bring you greater freedom."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 13 THE SPIRIT'S WITNESS
“We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:32) "The Holy Spirit gives witness to Jesus. We are not able to fully understand who Jesus is on our own strength, intellect, and power. The Holy Spirit aids us in moving from our limited intellectual perception of who Christ is and what He has done for us, to a life-changing understanding of Christ. It is also the Holy Spirit who inspires us to give witness to Christ by our words and actions. This segment will look at how we are best able to cooperate with the Holy Spirit so that we may see Jesus as He is and give witness to Him."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 14 THE SPIRIT REMEMBERS
“For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration His gift of the Spirit.” (John 3:34) "It’s important for us to remember the great things that God has done for us. Often we become consumed with our daily struggles and forget all that the Lord has done. We may also only focus on God not doing what we want of Him. One of the blessings of the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit reminds us what Jesus said and what He has done for us. There is no limit to what God has done or what He desires to do in our lives."
The Wild Goose was a term that the ancient Celts had for the Holy Spirit, and apart from the Wild Goose there is no life.
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 1
GOD'S LOVE POURED OUT
"God is Love." (1 John 4:8) "This simple statement is the beginning and the ending of our pilgrimage of Faith. God is Love and the Lord’s Love is perfect, passionate and unconditional. There is nothing that we can do that would cause God to love us more and nothing we can do that would cause Him to love us less. We are able to come to experience the beauty and freedom of God’s Love by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God reveals the Love of the Father that changes us. When we experience God’s Love we come to understand in a powerful way that we are in fact 'lovable.' God’s Love reveals our beauty and goodness before Him."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 2
THE BREATH OF GOD
"The breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4)
"The only way we are able to live a life of faith, a life full of love, peace, joy and power is by the Holy Spirit. We see this most clearly in the lives of the Apostles. They had every advantage in being with Jesus and hearing Him preach and seeing the many miracles that He had done. And yet, even with that advantage they were frightened men living their faith life in a locked room before they received the Holy Spirit. What took place in the upper room changed the lives of these men and women and would change the course of human history. This experience of the Holy Spirit is an encounter available to everyone; it is not reserved for a select few. Pentecost and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is the theme of this segment."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 3
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Matthew 3:11)
"Jesus came to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, and the power and grace that comes from the baptism in the Holy Spirit changes lives. For the millions of Catholics worldwide who have had this experience it is a transforming grace that brings freedom, peace, and the very presence of God. Unfortunately for many Catholics the term 'baptism in the Holy Spirit' is not a term with which they are familiar. In this segment we will discuss what the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is all about."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 4
THE SPIRIT AND OUR LADY
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." (Luke 1:35)
"Our Lady, from the moment of her conception, was overshadowed by the Holy Spirt. As the Spouse of the Holy Spirit she models for us what our lives can look like when we say 'yes' to God's will and fully give ourselves over to the actions of the Spirit of God. Mary's fiat led her to the cross, the empty tomb, and ultimately the upper room where she was once again overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. If we have the courage, as Mary did, to say yes to God’s Spirit, to surrender our will to His, we too will experience the power of the Most High overshadowing us."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 5
GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
“The Spirit Himself is ‘God's gift’ par excellence (John 4:10) a gift from God, and in turn communicates different spiritual gifts to those who welcome Him." _ Pope Francis
"The greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The living God gives the gift of Himself to those who are baptized. From the Spirit flows other gifts, some of which are for our personal sanctification while others are for the building up and support of the body of Christ. Many of the gifts are very familiar to us (wisdom, counsel, love) while others are somewhat foreign (healing, prophecy, tongues). Whatever our experience, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for all Christians, and no one should think that the gifts are not for them."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 6
THE SPIRIT AND THE EUCHARIST
At the center of the Church is the Eucharist, where Christ is present and active in humanity and in the whole world by means of the Holy Spirit.” _ Pope St. John Paul II
"The Eucharistic Liturgy is saturated with the presence of the Holy Spirit. From the moment you decide to go to Mass, the Holy Spirit is active and alive. Sadly, many people don’t experience the Holy Spirit, and attending Mass becomes a chore for them rather than a life giving encounter with Jesus. In this segment we will look at a few of the many ways that the Holy Spirit is present in the Mass that will enable you to encounter God when you attend the Liturgy."
THE WILD GOOSE - PART 7
THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION
"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, 'Abba, Father!'" (Romans 8:14-16)
"The Holy Spirit reveals many things to us. One of the most beautiful is the Spirit revealing God as our loving Father, our 'Abba - Daddy.' Jesus related to His Father as Abba and never before had God been spoken of in such personal and intimate terms. God as Abba is a uniquely beautiful Christian revelation. The Spirit of Jesus desires to free us from fear and a master-slave relationship to a Father-Daughter or Father-Son relationship."
"What we learn in the New Testament on charisms, which appeared as visible signs of the coming of the Holy Spirit, is not a historical event of the past, but a reality ever alive. It is the same divine Spirit, soul of the Church, that acts in every age and those mysterious and effective interventions of the Spirit are manifest in our time in a providential way. The Movements and New Communities are like an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in contemporary society. We can, therefore, rightly say that one of the positive elements and aspects of the Community of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is precisely their emphasis on the charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit and their merit lies in having recalled their topicality in the Church." _ Address of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to Charismatic Catholics, October 2008
"...Do not grow weary of turning to Heaven: the world stands in need of prayer. It needs men and women who feel the attraction of Heaven in their life, who make praise to the Lord a new way of life. And may you be joyful Christians! I entrust you all to Mary Most Holy, present in the Upper Room at the event of Pentecost. Persevere with her in prayer, walk guided by the light of the living Holy Spirit, proclaiming the Good News of Christ." _ Address of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to Charismatic Catholics, May 26, 2012
Prepare for a Personal Pentecost!
Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 1
Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 2
Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 3
Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 4
Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 5
Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 6
Life in the Spirit Seminar
Part 7
Halfhearted Commitment to the Faith is Nauseating to Christ: "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit (vomit) you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)
Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. (Romans 12:11)
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Evangelii Gaudium
Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis
On the Proclamation of the Gospel in
Today’s World
#259) Spirit-filled evangelizers means evangelizers fearlessly open to the working of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the Spirit made the apostles go forth from themselves and turned them into heralds of God’s wondrous deeds, capable of speaking to each person in his or her own language. The Holy Spirit also grants the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel with boldness (parrhesía) in every time and place, even when it meets with opposition. Let us call upon him today, firmly rooted in prayer, for without prayer all our activity risks being fruitless and our message empty. Jesus wants evangelizers who proclaim the good news not only with words, but above all by a life transfigured by God’s presence.
#261) Whenever we say that something is “spirited,” it usually refers to some interior impulse which encourages, motivates, nourishes and gives meaning to our individual and communal activity. Spirit-filled evangelization is not the same as a set of tasks dutifully carried out despite one’s own personal inclinations and wishes. How I long to find the right words to stir up enthusiasm for a new chapter of evangelization full of fervor, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction! Yet I realize that no words of encouragement will be enough unless the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in our hearts. A spirit-filled evangelization is one guided by the Holy Spirit, for he is the soul of the Church called to proclaim the Gospel. Before offering some spiritual motivations and suggestions, I once more invoke the Holy Spirit. I implore him to come and renew the Church, to stir and impel her to go forth boldly to evangelize all peoples.
