A reflection I presented at St. Clement’s Church in Chicago on May22.2018
Matthew 28: 16-20
Today’s Gospel reading is one of the shortest of the liturgical year, yet these verses from Matthew touch concepts contemplated by several of our greatest saints over their lifetimes. In a few short sentences, we are confronted with our Catholic faith’s deepest mysteries and core disciplines.
Restricted both by time and a standing well below saint, I will spend these few minutes scratching the surface from centuries of history concerning two topics:
- the limitations we face as humans, and
- intercessions that allow achievement beyond our individual capacities.
In Verse 17 we find- “And seeing him they adored, but some doubted”
The last time I addressed this group, we explored fearless faith as expressed in the lives of John the Baptist and Saint Pope John Paul II. Lives lived 19 Centuries apart, with a common thread- A path to the Holy Spirit
One was infused with the Holy Spirit while in Elizabeth’s womb,
the other held a special devotion to the Virgin Mary, herself a recipient of the Holy Spirit’s intercession.
There are many paths to the Spirit. It is incumbent on us to find ours.
Doubt is a very human condition. Even those that walked with Jesus felt it. Consider Peter, his faith strong enough to walk on water to Christ, yet doubt-filled enough to start sinking in route. Then came Pentecost, where we find these very human apostles transformed- strengthened by a higher power.
Verse 18 finds Jesus stating “all power is given to me in heaven and in earth”
Loving and merciful, Christ shares his power with these common men- sending the Spirit to intercede, to strengthen, to enlighten. They use that power to build a church, now 1.2 Billion strong, with 2.2 Billion calling themselves Christians.
I learned recently that 40% of Catholics reside in Latin America- People who did not even learn about Christ until 1500 years after he sent the Spirit to 11 fearful men. This achievement is made attainable through the intercession of the Spirit.
In Verse 19 Christ instructs- “teach ye all nations; baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost”
Remember that when Jesus said these words, the 11 had no idea who the Holy Ghost was. No idea where they would get the strength to teach, to baptize, to form even a rudimentary understanding of the concept and mystery of the Trinity.
And finally, at Verse 20 our Lord directs- “teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you- I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world”
Christ’s command? “Love one another as I have loved you”. Love like God. Something we as humans cannot possibly do- without intercession.
So, what is the message to the 25 of us? Where do we find the power to love like God; to teach in Chicago like those missionaries to America did 500 years ago?
We can begin with dialogue through prayer. Through prayer, we can create the discipline to empty ourselves and make room for the power.
The Holy Spirit is here to help us live as disciples of Christ. He provides courage and perseverance when we encounter challenge or adversity. Through the Spirit, we come to know God’s love personally. He is our Paraclete, our Counselor, our Advocate.
Let us take time to reflect upon and interact with the Holy Spirit while the Solemnity of Pentecost is fresh in our minds. Perhaps refamiliarize ourselves with two Doctors of the Church who have insightful writings on the divinity of the Spirit.
St. Basil the Great uses a detailed new testament analysis in On the Holy Spirit, that is widely regarded a definitive work of the early Church.
St. Ambrose of Milan’s writing finds the Holy Spirit through interpretation of Old Testament passages on Gideon, Simeon, and the prophets.
If you’d like to reflect on an example the interactive power of the Holy Spirit, my favorite is in the biography of St. Phillip Neri by Father Bacci who describes the following incident;
While he was with the greatest earnestness asking of the Holy Ghost His gifts, there appeared to him a globe of fire, which entered his mouth and lodged in his breast;
And thereupon, he was surprised with such a fire of love, that, unable to bear it, he threw himself on the ground, and like one trying to cool himself, bared his breast to temper in some measure the flame which he felt.
When he had remained so for some time and was a little recovered, he rose up full of unwonted joy, and immediately all his body began to shake with a violent tremor
And putting his hand to his bosom, he felt a swelling about as big as a man’s fist, but neither then, nor afterward was it attended with the slightest pain or wound”
An autopsy after his death found two ribs broken and curved outward to accommodate his enlarged heart which according to the Catholic Encyclopedia had been “dilated under the sudden impulse of love”.
While well-read and highly educated, Phillip Neri believed that the gifts of the Holy Spirit can instantaneously instruct an obedient soul to heights unachievable by human striving over a lifetime. Among his more famous statements is “The wisdom of the scriptures is learned rather by prayer than by study”.
To that end, I’d like to conclude with the Prayer of St. Anselm which is over 900 years old, but I believe very valuable for our reflection today.
“Oh merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with the graces of your Holy Spirit;
With love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control.
Teach us to love those who hate us,
To pray for those who despitefully use us,
That we may be the children of Your love, our Father,
Who makes the sun rise on the evil and the good,
And sends the rain on the just and the unjust.
In adversity, grant us the grace to be patient,
In prosperity, keep us humble,
May we guard the door of our lips,
May we lightly esteem the pleasures of this world,
And thirst after heavenly things, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Also, See:
