Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • May 26, 2023 5 Compassionate Service 228-374-5650 Bradfordokeefe.com 9274 Hwy 49/Airport Gulfport, MS 39503 228-863-5525 1-800-880-2446 FAX: 228-863-9612 www.butchoustalet.com Thank you, Jesus, Mary, St. Jude, & St. Anthony, for prayers answered. CS Opening Remarks -- Peace: The newspaper headline read, “Live like a combative reality TV star, and you may die young.” Researchers in Denmark checked the death records of 10,000 men and women. They found that frequent fighters -- those whose anger, bitterness, critical spirit, and skepticism stir trouble and create turmoil -- were two to three times more likely to die in middle age than their peaceful peers. So, where does peace come from? As the God/Man, Jesus’ spoken words were powerfully effective. When He called demons out of people, they came out. When He said to a paralytic, ‘Stand up and walk” -- he walked. To the dead, He said, “Rise,” and they rose. To those He said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” they received. In today’s Gospel, Jesus greeted His disciples with, “Peace be with you,” those words were a healing balm as they answered any doubt that He had indeed risen from the dead and forgiven them for deserting Him during His passion. Christ’s gift of peace is the assurance of reconciliation with God to all who accept His Lordship. St. Augustine wrote: “Peace is serenity of mind, tranquility of soul, simplicity of heart, a bond of love with our creator.” Reflect: The Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus and nourishes us with the Sacraments by which we are reconciled with God -- do I take Jesus at His word and receive His peace or reject it in favor of my solutions? Isn’t it time we lived more fully in the peace Jesus gave his first disciples? Power: Power always accompanies the Holy Spirit’s presence. The Hebrew and New Testament Scriptures declare dramaticmomentswhere people spectacularly experienced God. The Lectionary offers four Old Testament readings for celebrating Saturday evening’s Pentecost Vigil Mass (Genesis 11:1-9). God’s power confused the language of those building Babel’s tower to destroy pride in their achievements apart from Him (Exodus 19:3-8, 16-20b). God demonstrated His power through dry bones coming together as people of praise (Ezekiel 37:1-14). God certifies the uniqueness of His power by promising to pour out His Spirit on all flesh (Joel 3:1-5). As Jesus’ disciples gathered for the Pentecost feast, the occurrences mentioned in the Old Testament readings were revealed again in power. A sudden noise, like a driving wind, filled the house where they were. Tongues of fire appeared, filling all with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2-4). The language confusion in Babel was reversed to understanding. Events in scripture often follow a pattern where people encounter God. First, God prepares them for the coming miraculous. Second, God assures that He will deliver the spectacular. Third, God provided evidence of His presence through fire, noise, wind, and divine signs. Fourth, God’s promises are fulfilled. Fifth, there is immediate action taken by those experiencing the events. The Book of Acts records how Jesus’ disciples (the Church) acted as a result of their encounter with the risen Christ and how they used their gifts of Holy Spirit empowerment received at Pentecost. They wasted no time mimicking the works of Jesus through preaching, teaching, healing, faith, evangelization, and works of mercy, charity, administration, and organization: all the while calling others to discipleship. This same Holy Spirit empowerment we received at Baptism, Confirmation, and ongoing as we live the sacramental life also demands action from us -- it is not meant to lay dormant. Reflect: How soon after you received Confirmation did you understand the power you received? How long did it take you to act, mimicking Jesus, the Old Testament heroes of faith, the first- century disciples, and even the saint whose name you took as your own? How can you respond now to the Holy Spirit’s prompting? How can you become more like Jesus every day? Purpose: The peace and power of the Holy Spirit should naturally lead to purpose. For what purpose are we here? What does God want us to do with our gifts, time, and talents? Here, you may expect me to list the various “things” we can do to serve the Lord and others. But I am instead prompted to address those of us who are too busy serving the Lord to offer our lives to the Lord. Our model is Jesus. The scriptures clearly show the itinerant Rabbi, fervent preacher, tenacious teacher, com-passionate dispenser of mercy, healer of body, mind, and spirit, fulfiller of the Law and the prophets, conqueror of evil, namely, Jesus, as first and foremost being in constant communication with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. His disciples repeatedly misunderstood His spending whole evenings alone with the Father, not only when there was an important decision but in the daily course of His life. When some Sisters of Charity asked Mother Teresa to relax her demand that before exercising ministry, they spend one hour before the blessed sacrament, she demanded they increase it to two hours. When they complained about two hours, she increased the requirement to three hours. We who serve the Lord in various ways are slow to get it. Simply put, God must be first in all we think, say, and do. Only from that position can ministry activity be lasting and effective. Reflect: Can our ministries be effective without the deeper commitment to God demonstrated by Jesus? Possibly, however, peace would not be experienced in its fullness. Power would have to be generated by our own energy. And true purpose would always be subject to our whim. If Jesus’ model of oneness with God is not followed, even if we somewhat successfully attend to humanity, we will fail to give divinity His due. Deacon Ralph Torrelli lives in Hattiesburg and is assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Visit his website: www.homilypearls.com . 1st Reading: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11 Responsorial Psalm: 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 Gospel: John 20:19-23 Pentecost Sunday Peace, power, purpose Deacon Torrell i Sunday Scripture Commentaries