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June 2025 |
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Pentecost: A Present Revelation
The Feast of Pentecost is celebrated this month on June 8th. Some of you might remember that we used to celebrated the Octave of Pentecost. The Sundays that followed Pentecost were numbered in relationship to Pentecost. Now, however, we do not have a Pentecost Octave. The Sundays that follow Pentecost are identified as the Sundays of Ordinary Time. As I pondered this change, a friend reminded me of a comment Raymond E Brown, SS, the renowned biblical scholar, theologian and author offered concerning this change. Commenting on the importance of the Feast of Pentecost, he said that Pentecost is such a central feast, it cannot be adequately celebrated on just one day. It takes a whole year to unpack its meaning and significance in our lives.
Carroll Stuhlmueller, also a renowned theologian, lecturer and a contemporary of Raymond Brown, explored the ongoing influence the Holy Spirit has on the church as a whole and on our individual lives. We often speak of the Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit, while at the same time forgetting that the “Gift” is the Spirit. This Gift moves the whole church in astounding ways that makes the reign of God more visible in our world. The Spirit also is personal and reaches into the depth of our hearts and minds. Because the Spirit’s influence in our lives is powerful, She can summon us to heroic, life-giving acts. Yet, many of us don’t feel or recognize the Spirit’s influence. Perhaps, if we prayed to the Spirit more intentionally in our formal prayers as well as throughout our daily routines, the Spirit’s influence might be more available to us and visible in our decisions? Over the centuries, composers, poets, mystics and people of prayer, like you and me, have written many prayers asking the Holy Spirit to be present and active in their lives. This is an excellent way of raising our consciousness of the Spirit’s presence. Could this practice help raise our awareness today? Would it allow the Spirit to influence our daily decisions and actions more easily?
Over this last year some people with whom I have spoken, especially in spiritual direction, have said that “prayer” has been difficult. It has felt dry, heavy or without a lot of joy. One of the Gifts of the Spirit, a sign that the Spirit is active in our lives, is joy - not a frivolous or shallow joy, but a deep sense of calm: a whisper that reminds us that “all shall be well.” So, I would like to suggest the following prayer practice for this month. Write your own prayer, song or poem to the Holy Spirit. It’s an invitation that the Spirit won’t refuse.
There’s no one magical way to begin. But the following two suggestions might help. Begin by reading and meditating on I Corinthians Chapter 12. What words or images capture your attention? Keep track of your thoughts. Connect your insights. Create a prayer that flows from your heart. Don’t critique your writing or spelling, just allow the Spirit to guide your prayer. The very “doing” of this practice is prayer. A second suggestion is to find a prayer to the Holy Spirit that you especially like. As you pray with it and new thoughts and images arise, write them down. Your prayer might mirror some of the words and images of the original prayer, but by making them personal the prayer becomes your payer to the Spirit.
One of my favorite prayers to the Holy Spirit is the following prayer composed by the Irish theologian, author and retreat director Diarmuid O’Murchu. I hope it will stir your imaginations and yearning so that the breath of God Who dwells in you will be filled with courage, discernment and joy.
Come, Holy Spirit, breathe life into our troubled world Shake the tired foundations of our crumbling institutions… and from the dust and rubble, gather up the seedlings of a new creation that reflect Your vision.
Come, Holy Spirit, enflame once more the dying embers of our weariness. Shake us of our complacency. Whisper our names once more, and scatter your gifts of grace
Break open the prisons of our inner being, and let your raging justice be our liberty.
Come, Holy Spirit, lead us to places we would rather not go; expand the horizons of our limited imagination. Awaken in our souls dangerous dreams for a new tomorrow, and rekindle in our hearts the fire of prophetic enthusiasm. (I Cor. 12)
Special thanks to Mary Ellen Green and Maria Hetherton who have helped in editing this article. Also, special thanks to Bob McGrath who conscientiously mails SSH to you each month. Without Bob’s generosity this service would not be possible. Bob utilizes Constant Contact for mailing. If you wish to change your email address please send your new email address to Bob at robert.mcgrath@mgrc.com. Thank you. "Stories Seldom Heard" is a monthly article written by Sister Patricia Bruno, OP. Sister is a Dominican Sister of San Rafael, California. This service is offered to the Christian Community to enrich one's personal and spiritual life. The articles can be used for individual or group reflection. If you would like "Stories Seldom Heard" sent to a friend, please send a note to Sister Patricia at brunoop2017@gmail.com. If you would like to support this ministry, please send a donation to Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, and Mail it to Sister Patricia Bruno, OP., 40 Locust Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901. Thank you.
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