2523AFC060625 – Zeal for Fire, Fire for Zeal 😀 ← PODCAST LINK
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Acts 2:1-3 – (GNT) [1] 1 When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there.
1 Corinthians 12:3-7 – [2] 3I want you to know that no one who is led by God’s Spirit can say “A curse on Jesus!” and no one can confess “Jesus is Lord,” without being guided by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 5 There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. 6 There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service. 7 The Spirit’s presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.
Romans 8:14-15 – 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” (↔ Music Link)
E pili mau na pomaika‘i ia ‘oe a me ke akua ho’omaika‘i ‘oe, ʻŌmea! (May blessing always be with you and may God bless you, Beloved!) Today we look at one of the most exciting celebrations of the Church – Pentecost Sunday. This celebration is rooted in the Jewish feast of Shavuot, The Festival of Weeks. This Feast is held for celebrating the giving of the Torah to the entire nation of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai – although that is not explicitly described in Scripture. There are scholarly discussions of the background of this Feast in the Talmud – the “oral Torah.” The Festival of Weeks is in the middle of the festivals decreed by God.
- Passover (Pesach)
- Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamotzi)
- Firstfruits (Yom Habikkurim)
- Pentecost (Shavu’ot) The Feast of Weeks or Festival of Harvest
- Trumpets (Yom Teru’ah)
- Atonement (Yom Kippur)
- Tabernacles (Succoth)
Whenever God puts something in the very middle of what he wants or what he creates (same-same those are), it turns out to be very special and important. Pentecost comes at the end of Eastertide, and it’s a pretty long wait – 50 days like the name says – so it’s like a really big reward for that wait.
Today I want to give a shout-out to Father Moses Akebule who gave an extraordinary homily at St Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church on May 15, 2016 – Pentecost Sunday. My homily notes supplied some of the content of this post. For my part, I exhort each of us to cultivate zeal for the Fire of the Holy Spirit who will give us the Fire for that Holy Zeal. Pentecost is a remarkable Feast in the same way that Shavuot is an amazing Festival. In these celebrations of God’s Love, we commemorate the moments in the history of his People that he chose to make himself more clearly known. In the Torah, the Word of God is given to us. In the Feast of Pentecost, the Living Word is received in us. I tell you, adelphos, for me that is a mind-blower! Think about this:
This great Feast has no commercial celebration. There are no Pentecost mattress specials or discounts on cars and trucks. There are no widely-sold Pentecost decorations or costumes. That is an example of the deep meaning and sanctifying nature of Pentecost. There are no representational images of fire, or doves, or wind on sale at Walmart. There are only the metaphorical images of these traits of the Holy Spirit. He is exceptionally present in the universe, but we see only glimpses and flashes of him in the small parts of creation. He has an impact on our lives – like the wind, or fire, or water impacts us – and wherever his actions move upon us, then and there always is the Fruit of the Spirit produced.
This is because the Holy Spirit is the Very Life of God – Love. Jesus passed on the Love of the Father through his Love for us, and he shared that Love with the Apostles who passed it on to us through the laying on of hands in the Priesthood. In this way God’s Love is poured out into our hearts, constantly blowing his flames through our lives more and more to stir up the Way, the Truth, and the Life and Love of Christ in us. This leads to a profound communion among his Disciples in all Nations because of the great unity in diversity among Christians as the Prophecy of his Good News is, and will continue to be, spread to all lands and tongues.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways the Holy Spirit is made knowable to us.
- The Holy Spirit as a Dove is not a product of the Earth. It is a gift of God in heaven.
- Fire of the Holy Spirit is given by and from God for light, heat, or as cleansing fire that burns away the debris in our hearts left behind by our sin.
- The Holy Spirit is positive, affirming Life. ALL negatives vanish resulting in the restoration to us God’s Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. New growth will recognize the Light of Truth, it will burn out evil and terrible memories.
- The Breath of the Holy Spirit breathed out on the Apostles is like oxygen to the blood of every member of the body of Christ
- The Holy Spirit has no Gospel of his own, but he is expressed now in everything Jesus said because Jesus only said what the Father told him in the Holy Spirit.
- Water is a symbol and venue of his actions as it nourishes and sustains Life, promotes growth, cleans and purifies, but can also destroy. Water represents the Soul of the Church which in turn produces the continuity of our lives despite the progressive changes of The World.
The Holy Spirit as the Soul of the Church gives us continuity in our lives which is as certain as our heartbeat. We are given Gifts so that we will use them, and so we exercise our Gifts in the Holy Spirit in any act of mercy and/or testimony as we honor the Giver by accepting the Gift. We must be open to his leading, willing to be led to the service which God intends for our adelphos. He is never idle, but is always acting with and through us 24/7/52/365. Recall the Jerusalem Council’s statement, “It is the will of the Holy Spirit and us…” Every enterprise we undertake will profit us and our sisters and brothers in Christ if we include our awareness of his presence. We must have a Zeal for that Fire!
The Holy Spirit is our closest friend and constant counselor given to us in, and through, Jesus so that we can come to know all Truth and remember everything he taught us. (See John 14:26) We should always be conscious of his influence in our lives and faithfully be aware of his Loving Presence. The Holy Spirit is the Bond of Love between the Father and the Son, and the Blesséd Trinity invites us to experience the Divine Presence of all three Persons by allowing the Holy Spirit to inflame us with his Love, his Mercy, and his Grace. May our Almighty, Everliving God grant us an unquenchable Fire of Love for the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit – and for one another as he has commanded us – “Love one another as I have Loved you.” This weekend, in the Power of that Love of Christ, we come “all in one place together” so that we can confess “Jesus is Lord,” [while] being guided by the Holy Spirit. In our joyful Zeal let us remember with exultation and reverence that it is we who are commanded to spread the Fire of the Gospel.
Remember, Jesus said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (See Luke 12:49) Belovéd, we are the kindling for that Great Fire which will become for us – the Fire for that Zeal! WE must throw open our hearts and minds and even our souls to that brilliant Fire of Mercy and Grace which is the Love of God – our Light in this present darkness. As The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 – 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. There is occasion for some confusion here when The Apostle Paul says “heavenly places.”
We should also consider Ephesians 2:1-2 – 1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. This can be understood that Satan has power to surround and move in, over, and around The World because he is the Archon of that realm which is on and above Earth but below Heaven – an “ethereal realm” wherein the demonic spirits endlessly seek the ruin of souls by enticing them into disobedience and lack of Love because of their indifference to the Power of God in Christ Jesus, the King of the Universe. Against such assaults on Believers, our Κύριος – Kyrios – our Lord and Master sends the Commander of Heavenly Powers, Saint Michael the Archangel to defend us in this spiritual War. He works with the Holy Spirit and Believers to thwart the Devil’s plans and actions.
The Holy Spirit is our closest friend and constant counselor given to us in, and through, Jesus so that we can come to know all Truth and remember everything he taught us. (See John 14:26) We should always be conscious of his influence in our lives and faithfully be aware of his Loving Presence. The Holy Spirit is the Bond of Love between the Father and the Son, and the Blesséd Trinity invites us to experience the Divine Presence of all three Persons by allowing the Holy Spirit to inflame us with his Love, his Mercy, and his Grace. May our Almighty, Everliving God grant us an unquenchable Fire of Love for the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit – and for one another as he has commanded us – “Love one another as I have Loved you.” This weekend, in the Power of that Love of Christ, we come “all in one place together” so that we can confess “Jesus is Lord,” [while] being guided by the Holy Spirit. In our joyful Zeal let us remember with exultation and reverence that it is we who are commanded to spread the Fire of the Gospel.
As we read in Romans 8:15 d – 17 – When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. When we testify (μαρτυρέω – to be martyred) in the Holy Spirit, we glorify God by using the Gifts he bestows on us through his love for the Christ of God, and that Love is the Holy Spirit. When any Person of the Trinity acts, they all act together. We shall be gathered together in One Place again at the End of the Age of the Church. That may come tomorrow or in a thousand years, but the time does not matter, because we can experience the presence of The Holy Trinity through the workings of the Holy Spirit who, for us, is another advocate given by God through Jesus. We need that Fire deep inside (↔ Music Link) so let it fall on us!
Spirit of the Living God (↔ Music Link) Fall afresh on us and set us afire with Zeal for your Love! Send forth Your Spirit (↔ Music Link) O Lord and renew the face of the Earth!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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[1] Passages marked (GNT): Good News Translation (GNT) are from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
[2] Passages marked (GNT): Good News Translation (GNT) are from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)© 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
