For a few weeks, I’ve been preparing a number of our young people for the Sacrament of Confirmation, which we’ll celebrate Sunday at the 11am Mass. And I’ve been encouraging our youth to ensure they are praying every day with their Confirmation in mind—praying to be strengthened in the gifts of the holy spirit and the fruits of the holy spirit. I asked them to examine their lives and ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify the Spiritual Gifts that he wants them to grow in: wisdom, understanding, right judgment, fear of the Lord. And to examine their lives and identify the fruits of the Spirit that seem to be lacking: patience, joy, fortitude. And after considering what is lacking, to pray that as they receive the Sacrament of Confirmation they may be strengthened in these gifts.
During his third and final missionary journey, Paul visited Ephesus. And there he found a group of believers who seemed to be missing something. He pinpointed the problem by asking, “Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?” They gave the surprising answer that they had never even heard that there is a holy Spirit. They had never received the Christian Sacrament of Baptism, and therefore they had never received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
What caused Paul to ask them if they had heard of the Holy Spirit? Though they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, likely, what was missing was the sort of activity that should mark a Spirit-filled group of full-fledged Christians. Remember, by this time, Paul had visited and established many communities. He would have seen the gifts of the Spirit at work, with his own eyes: prophesying, speaking in tongues, healings, mighty exhortations, Christians teaching the faith, speaking words of knowledge and understanding.
So immediately Paul baptized them and laid hands on them, and the outward signs of the Spirit began to manifest: speaking in tongues and prophecy. These are among the many charismatic gifts of the spirit listed by Paul in his letters.
If Paul were to visit a typical Catholic parish today, he’d find in most places the Holy Spirit at work: he’d see the gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fear of the Lord; he’d see the fruits, patience, joy. He’d see the charismatic signs: those with the gift of encouragement—strengthening those with wavering faith, he’d see those with the gift of teaching, passing on the faith and correcting error, he’d see those with the gift of mercy assisting the suffering.
As we prepare for Pentecost this Sunday, we’d do well, like our confirmandi, to pray for an increase in the spiritual gifts, the fruits of the spirit, the charismatic gifts, in our own lives, and in the life of our parish, that Church may continuously be built-up, and faithful in her mission of being sent out to preach the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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Let us pray to our Heavenly Father, confident that He is generous to those who call upon Him with faith.
For our young people preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation this weekend—that they may open their hearts to the gifts God has in store for them. Let us pray to the Lord.
For our President and all elected government representatives, may the Holy Spirit grant them wisdom and guide them to promote domestic tranquility, national unity, respect for religious freedom, and a greater reverence for the sanctity of Human Life. Let us pray to the Lord.
Like the apostles gathered with Our Lady in the Cenacle, may the Church grow in Marian devotion this month, especially in devotion to the Holy Rosary. Let us pray to the Lord.
For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or disease: that they may know the peace and consolation of the Good Shepherd. Let us pray to the Lord.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for those who have fought and died for our freedom, and for …for whom this mass is offered. Let us pray to the Lord.
Gracious Father, hear the prayers of your pilgrim Church, grant us your grace and lead us to the glory of your kingdom, through Christ Our Lord.
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