“Look what the wind blew in!”

This was a very popular saying while I was growing up.  For whatever reason, someone whom we hadn’t seen in a while would stop by the house unexpectedly and my father or any other grown up in the house would say, “Look what the wind blew in!”

While they were hugging and kissing, greeting each other with laughter and slaps on the back I would look at them in awe.   Their faces would have almost a special glow.  They would make remarks as if they had a secret joke from the last time they saw each other. And no matter how long it had been since they last saw each other, they were always happy to see them and remarked how they had stayed away too long.

That’s what I thought about this past Sunday.  Every year we celebrate Pentecost Sunday as if we almost forget that the Holy Spirit is always with us.  We great Him almost like a long lost friend.  Where have you been?  My son asked me about the three gods and once again I tried my best to not confuse him and explained the Trinity.  How the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three persons in one God.  It’s a hard concept for adults let alone a child.

God is always with us because, His Spirit is always present.  Because Jesus’ message does not get locked up in the upper room with the apostles and yes all those women of the early church.  It’s because Jesus breathes on them saying receive the Holy Spirit and just like that, a wind blows and the Holy Spirit descends on them.  Could you imagine the look on their faces.  The absolute joy and wonder as they spoke and others understood no matter the language.

Father Ralph has made a great tradition of having the entire congregation invoking the Holy Spirit.  As we repeat the words Veni, Sancte Spiritus a feeling of calmness seems to wash over us.  You can feel the church changing as we pray over and over again, Come Holy Spirit Come!  You can feel His Spirit.  DO you see what, what I see?  DO you hear what I hear?  Look what the wind blew in!
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Saint Brigid says, “Cerrone submitted this beautiful reflection BEFORE the tornados hit Oklahoma yesterday and she had second thoughts about publishing it because of the destructive winds.   Yet one commentator on the Pentecost story wrote this:
‘Luke tells us in our first reading that the Spirit’s arrival in the community isn’t always a peaceful event. He deliberately chooses the violent images of wind, noise and fire to accompany his/her coming. The early church presumed one reason it was gifted with the Spirit was because it daily had to face environments, situations, and questions which the historical Jesus hadn’t encountered. These other Christs had to go beyond, “What would Jesus do?” They were forced to ask, “What’s the risen Jesus doing?” The Spirit was the one element providing the answer. And almost always, that answer led to disturbing insights.’
So once again the Scriptures have deep layers of meaning which do not cancel each other out.  We pray for the people in Oklahoma who lost loved ones and whose homes were destroyed.  And as the Holy Spirit hymn says,  ’O comforter,  to you we cry…’  May the Holy Spirit,  the Comforter,  aid those who live in the midst of destruction.”

Pentecost Sunday was a rainy, misty and windy day this year.  The quiet rain that surrounded us, accompanied by the light wind felt like a physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit enveloping our world with His presence.  It was as though Jesus was breathing on us.  As I listened to the readings at Mass, I experienced a powerful sense of  what the Apostles must have felt when John tells us in the Gospel that Jesus came to them and said “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

The day ended with a wonderful opportunity to see the young people of our parish share greetings in many tongues on the live Telecare broadcast celebrating Pentecost Sunday.  St. Brigid’s Youth Group led by Father Ralph appeared via Skype to share how they have engaged in missions both in Church and in the larger community.  It was wonderful to see their shining faces radiating God’s love.

Happy Pentecost! A special thanks to all the priests we encounter in our daily lives, but especially to Father Ralph, Father Greg, Father ChaCha, Father Luis, Father David, Father Jack, Father Augustine, and Deacons Mike, Jim, Frank and Manuel, for bringing the Word into our lives every day.

From Friday after Ascension Thursday to Pentecost Sunday, at the Lord’s command, the disciples and Mary will pray and wait together for nine days (the first novena). They will wait with the expectation that something extraordinary is going to happen. Can you imagine what that spiritual retreat would have been like? Being in a constant state of active stillness, all senses ready to receive what Jesus had promised to send. At this retreat you would be reluctant to sleep in case you missed something. It is the gift of faith and hope in action. Not only are we to believe that Jesus will fulfill his promise, we expect to see it happen: we will be clothed with power from on high.

Don’t forget to wear red for Pentecost Sunday.

Happy Easter!

I can’t resist writing in some way about Mother’s Day which we celebrated last Sunday.

When I was a child I remember going to church on mothers day and women wore  coursages. I think it was different colored flowers that represented whether your mother was living or deceased. I think that was a nice little tradition.  People don’t do that anymore but Mother’s Day still gets you thinking about your mom.

My mom was funny.  She really knew when to just listen and when to pipe in.  I of course can realize that now that I am mom to a teenage girl.  Mothers are very special.  I once heard a priest refer to a pregnant woman as having “two hearts”.  Its true.  When your pregnant you have two hearts!! Carrying new life… nourishing new life…bringing new life into the world.  All this is very unique and special.  Its truly a gift from God.  When you think about one cell becoming an eight pound baby you just can’t deny it’s a miracle.  I remember reading this magazine every month when I was pregnant.  It would describe what was going on in the development of the baby.  Early on it said the baby was the size of a piece of rice.  I remember thinking to myself “wow how is this ever going to work?”  Well it does and it did.  Here I am two kids later.

Its not easy, its not always glamorous like on TV but it is a miracle and we are all truly miracles by the grace of God.

It’s up to us now.  What?  Wait!  We are not ready! How can we continue living and spreading the word of Christ without, well…Christ?  I bet that is what the Apostles thought also when Jesus ascended into Heaven.  Last week I had the same thought.  I enjoyed having Jesus himself appear in the Gospels the last seven Sundays.  I enjoyed learning, along with the Disciples what it means to be of and for Christ.  I loved watching my youngest receive his First (and subsequently, is up to his third) Holy Communion.  The love and reverence that these children bring to the altar is rejuvenating.  I love reaffirming my Baptismal promises and receiving the sprinkling (or, deluge depending on the Celebrant) of Holy Water.  I love the smell of Holy Chrism as it lingers in the air and on the hair and clothes of an infant after they are christened. I am going to miss the Easter Season when it “officially’ ends on Pentecost this Sunday. So, to preserve this time, I have come up with a “Top Ten” list of things I have learned this season.

10.  Thomas doubted at first…..well……wouldn’t you?
9.  “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” I believe this sets us up for our foundation of faith that Christ is ALWAYS with us.
8. Jesus makes us “fishers of men” and charges us to take care of one another by spreading his teachings.
7. Paul and Barnabas did a lot of traveling!
6. Jesus will always guide and provide for us if we keep him in the center of our lives.
5. We must love one another as Jesus loved us.
4. By loving and believing in Jesus we will one day reunite with Him and the Father.
3. Jesus left us his peace so our hearts and minds would not be troubled.
2. That Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are One and want us to be one in them and with them
and……the number one thing I’ve learned is…..

1. The Main Thing is to Keep The Main Thing the Main Thing
and The Main Thing is  JESUS!!

God Bless you all.

Fred and Olympia, my step-father’s parents, were married for almost seventy-two years.  They died within only five weeks of each other.  The two lovers met as teenagers, received the sacrament of marriage not too long after, raised two sons with a lot of hard work and love, and lived most of their lives in Brooklyn.

In their waning years, the couple moved upstate to a nursing home where my mother, among others, cared for them.  Fred was sick for while, and then died.  Olympia, who was not really ill, died about four weeks later.  We’ve all heard the phrase: she died of a broken heart.  She passed away shortly before what would have been their seventy-second wedding anniversary.

So, the question is, how did they do it?  How did they become “consubstantial”?  How did they truly come to exist as one body?  The truth is that only they would have been able to answer that question.

But I will say this, Fred was sweet to Olympia.  I know that’s not much of a blueprint for success, inasmuch as it lacks in specifics.  But calling a husband sweet is like saying “he’s a good man”.  The words seem minimal, but defining a person that way demonstrates deep respect.

So, what does this have to do with this week’s Gospel reading, John 17:26-26?  Well, the reading is all about Jesus being one with God, and one with His people.  It is all about being consubstantial.  In his homily at the six o’clock Mass, Fr. David spoke about how a husband and wife become one flesh, when married.  I can’t think of two people I’ve ever heard of, let alone knew, who were more one flesh than Fred and Olympia.  God rest their souls, as I know He does.

It’s not always easy, but let’s try to be sweet to each other.  The best way I’ve ever heard to do that is to take the First Corinthians test, with which you may be familiar.  To take the test, read the following passage, think about how you treat other people, especially those in your family, and see if you can insert your name for the word “love”.

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.       

Now, I’m sorry to say that when taking this test, I have gotten some red ink on my paper.  But, to paraphrase one of my favorite writers, Christianity is not about being perfect, but about identifying our imperfections, acknowledging that we have done wrong, being truly sorry we have done wrong, and trying to mend our ways the next time around.  This is one way we can try to become consubstantial with our Lord, and with each other.
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Saint Brigid says, “Did you know there is an online version of the St. Paul Love Test?”  Try it out here. 

This past week I attended a First Holy Communion Mass at St. Brigid’s.  At the end of Mass, Father Ralph thanked and applauded the children’s parents for bringing them to God.  This past Sunday, we celebrated Mother’s Day, a day to also thank and applaud mothers.  One of the musical selections during Mass was “We are the Light of the World”, which are the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) put to music.  Singing the beatitudes during Mother’s day is fitting because the beatitudes describes so many mothers.

Mothers are often the light of their families and of the world.  Mothers are often the humble, and merciful peacemakers in their families.  May a mother’s light shine before all, so that all may see the good that Mother’s do and give glory to God.  A belated Happy Mother’s day to all those mothers who are the light of the world.

(The following are the full lyrics from We are the Light of the World):

1. Blessed are they who are poor in spirit,
   Theirs is the kingdom of God.
   Bless us, O Lord, make us poor in spirit;
   Bless us, O Lord, our God.Refrain
   We are the light of the world,
   may our light shine before all,
   That they may see the good that we do,
   and give glory to God.

   2. Blessed are they who are meek and humble,
   They will inherit the earth.
   Bless us, O Lord, make us meek and humble;
   Bless us, O Lord, our God.

(Refrain)

3. Blessed are they who will mourn in sorrow,
They will be comforted.
Bless us, O Lord, when we share their sorrow;
Bless us, O Lord, our God.

(Refrain)

4. Bless those who hunger and thirst for justice,
They will be satisfied.
Bless us, O Lord, hear our cry for justice;
Bless us, O Lord, our God.

(Refrain)

5. Blessed are they who show others mercy,
They will know mercy too.
Bless us, O Lord, hear our cry for mercy;
Bless us, O Lord, our God.

(Refrain)

6. Blessed are hearts that are clean and holy,
They will behold the Lord.
Bless us, O Lord, make us pure and holy;
Bless us, O Lord, our God.

(Refrain)

7. Blessed are they who bring peace among us,
They are the children of God.
Bless us, O Lord, may your peace be with us;
Bless us, O Lord, our God.

(Refrain)

8. Bless those who suffer from persecution,
Theirs is the kingdom of God.
Bless us, O Lord, when they persecute us;
Bless us, O Lord, our God.

(Refrain)

Peace I leave with you my friends;
Peace the world cannot give.
Peace I leave with you my friends;
So that your joy be ever full.
~ Hymn by Gregory Norbert

Divine peace is Jesus’ parting gift to us. It is an undeserved, unique gift that we must humbly and gratefully accept. We are called to do as we did on Easter Vigil. Receiving light from the Easter candle, we, symbolically, offered that divine light to our neighbor by lighting his or her candle. We are to do the same with the gift of peace; for is there a darker place than a place where there is no peace?

During Mass, after the Our Father, we will recall this gift of the peace of the Lord when the Celebrant says to us: “The peace of the Lord be with you always.” Then he will invite us to offer each other the sign of peace. This offering is a liturgical action where we give each other that peace the world cannot give. Understanding this, we take our time and look into each other’s eyes and mean the offering of this singular gift. The sign of peace offered from one to the other “lights up” the church with peace and unity, the worthy garment of those invited to the banquet of the Lord.

The peace of the Risen Lord be with us always!

Brood II, it’s coming.  Have you heard?  Scientists are predicting the onslaught of some 3 billion cicadas on the East Coast of North America. The emergence will most probably take place this month of May as the temperature of the soil rises to 64 degrees Farenheit – the cicadas will emerge, molt, mate and die.  “It’s amazing to watch a cicada eclosion, which is when they emerge from the shell, because it’s en masse,” say bug enthusiasts “it’s like a biblical plague that you can witness.”  Rest assured, there is no need for alarm.  They do not bite or sting, these insects come in peace every 17 years, seeking only love.  And if you aren’t intrigued enough already by these red eyed insects get a load of this particular brood’s name – they are called, magicada.  Yes, that’s right, like magic!

So, needless to say, I am captivated.  I have only read about the locusts and the plagues in the bible, now we may actually get to see something of this magnitude with our own eyes…and ears, which may prove to be an unfortunate downside.  Apparently the mating call of the male, a series of chirps, can create quite a racket.  Then again I suppose 3 billion of anything in your backyard could raise the decibel levels dangerously high.    It may leave all of us praying for a little PEACE & quiet.

That peace that Jesus was offering in last week’s gospel, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”  Do you see what Jesus is doing?  Last week he addressed the disciples as “my children” and gives them a new commandment: to love one another.  He, Jesus, is getting ready to leave and he has a few, very important parting words.

The chapters of the Gospel of John that we have been reading from are referred to by some as the “farewell discourse of Jesus.”  My own children know the farewell discourse of this Mom.  I hold their hand and try to stretch time, whether it was the first day of kindergarten or those last moments before boarding the plane, or those future partings off to college or at the altar – each time as they embark on something new and we need to separate  – there are things that must be said.  A mix of instructions along with encouragement wrapped up in enfolding arms with affirmations of love.  Right before the good-bye, each word seems as precious as each fleeting moment.

Over the past two Sundays’ gospels, Jesus is bidding his disciples farewell with a parent’s heart.  Today, Thursday, May 9th – we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord – when the earthly body of Jesus was taken up to heaven.  Jesus has said his goodbyes.

Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.