Springtime


 

28 April 2022

Dear and gentle reader, with my hiatus from blogging over, Holy Week and Easter liturgies survived, and visiting family completed, I'm back and full of blathering.

The natural world surrounding us is coming back to life.  The grass is greening up, flowers and trees are budding and blooming, the wee creatures seeking mates to make more wee creatures.  The cold of winter is gone, and life begins to show itself once again.

Thus it is with our faith.  After the forty days of penitential Lent, we celebrate the Lord's victory over sin and death, not for Himself, but for us and the world.  Nature herself echoes what God Himself does for us.  New life; new hope; new love planted firmly in our hearts, minds, and souls.

The new life can be frightening, since it calls for continual conversion.  The victory of Christ rising calls us to daily take up the Cross, die to self and sin, and rise with Him to the life of the sons and daughters of our God and Father.  This is certainly never something we do on our own, nor by our own power.  This can only be done in us and by us with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, lavished upon us in our baptism and confirmation.

I've no doubt, gentle reader, that the Holy Spirit is the most overlooked and least understood Person of the Holy Trinity.  Most of our prayers are addressed to the Father, or the Son.  How many of us pray to the Holy Spirit, though?  And yet, we should, especially beginning our times of prayer throughout the day.  I'd venture to say that the Holy Spirit is probably the most frightening Person of the Holy Trinity to most of us, since the Spirit leads us in mystery to places and events we never thought possible, much less would want to venture towards if we followed our own will. Perhaps that's why we shy away from praying to the Spirit, but it doesn't stop the Spirit from doing what needs to be done.

Without the Spirit, there is no life in us, physical or spiritual.  Without the Spirit, there is no love in us.  Without the Spirit, there is no direction or meaning in our life. Without the Spirit, we would not be sons and daughters of the Father.  Without the Spirit, we would not believe in the Son.  Without the Spirit, there is no dying and rising to new life for us.

My dear and gentle reader, don't fear the Spirit.  We need to open our hearts, minds, and souls to this great and mysterious Person if we wish to be the human person created by God.  Yes, we will be alarmed at what the Spirit calls us to do and be, but we will only find fulfillment and happiness in answering the Spirit's call.  

May this Eastertide enable us to respond to the Spirit as Our Lady did, and conceive in our hearts, minds, and souls the presence of the Risen Son.

May God and Mary bless you all!  A Blessed Eastertide to you all!

Father P.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
 Ah, ça ira. N’est pas?  An Olympic Disasterpiece.     1 Aug. 2024 Dear and gentle Reader, My apologies for being absent for so long a period.  I’m sure you’re famished for my wit and wisdom.  Well, I have a veritable smorgasbord for you!   As you know, here in the States, we recently concluded a year of Eucharistic Renewal with the celebration of a National Eucharistic Congress, which by all accounts was well attended by Catholics of all ages.  Shortly after, we had the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and of course, the controversy that followed due to some elements of the said ceremony. Now, I am, as some of you know, no enthusiast of any athletics, and so I do not watch the Olympics, but I do usually watch the opening ceremonies, which introduce the participating nations and their athletes, as well as highlight the history and culture of the host country.  Some of them have been absolutely glorious, others, well, sad....
Read more
Image
 Unholy Hell in the Holy Land 10 October 2023 Dear and Gentle Reader, No doubt you've heard of the escalating war between Israel and Hamas.  It is shocking, saddening, and brutal.  Many shake their heads and think, "Why can't they sit down and work it out?".  The answer to that is not so simple.  It is not just a battle for territory.  It is not just a battle for political self-determination.  It is not just a battle for human rights and security. It is not just a battle between religions, ethnicities, or races. It is all of those things combined into our modern world of global politics, which had made it even more complex and inscrutable.  To make it clear, Gentle Reader, firstly, I am not anti-Semitic, nor anti-Arab.  I believe that Israel has a right to self-protection, as do the Palestinian peoples.  In opposing some of the acts of the state of Israel, I do not oppose the Jewish religion.  In opposing some of the acts of the Pal...
Read more
 Ending 2023 - thank God! Dear and gentle reader, a very Happy Christmas and coming New Year to you and yours!  We've made it - almost - through yet another year together.  No, I've not posted as often as I should, but then, I was lazy and just didn't feel like it, so deal with it. What a year it has been, and personally, I'm glad to see the back of it.  On a personal note, I'm about the same as I was last year, only older, grumpier, and fatter, and I don't give a fig if I am.  My diocese is still in limbo concerning the bishop's restructuring plan.  I have no idea if I will be transferred this coming June.  My two parishes have been proposed to be split, one being merged with a parish to its northwest to form a new parish, and the one where I currently reside, to be merged with a parish to its northeast.  So, if the proposals go through, which most likely they will, I will be without a parish, thus, no longer a pastor.  God forbid that I be ...
Read more