Pentecost Sunday

Mystery Of The Day

Preparation. - On this day was accomplished what the wise man requested of God: "Lord, renew Thy signs and work new miracles." In the first place, heaven actually wrought new prodigies on this day, and secondly, these prodigies produced wonderful effects in the apostles and the early Christians. Let us resolve to redouble our fervor and confidence, by beseeching the divine Paraclete to change us into new men. "Renew Thy signs and work new miracles" (Eccli. 36. 6).

I. The Wonders Wrought On This Day.

After reading in Scripture by what unheard-of prodigies  the Almighty  withdrew His chosen people out of Egypt, led them through the desert into the Promised Land; after getting acquainted with the humiliation of the Word and with the miracles innumerable wrought by the Incarnate Wisdom with unexampled profusion, we are inclined to ask if it is possible to work other wonders, and if we may repeat the wise man's request: "Lord, renew Thy signs, and work new miracles."

The Holy Ghost seems to have heard this kind of challenge, for on this day He appeared, as He had never done before, in the form of fiery tongues, thus showing to all that He came to spread on earth the divine ardor of charity by means of preaching. He announces His coming with the sound of a mighty wind, indicating that His actions would not be limited, like our Saviour's, to one people and one country, but would extend through the apostles and their successors to the extremities of the earth. Thus is the admirable edifice of the Catholic Church completed, the church symbolized by Eve in the beginning of the world, in germ under the patriarchs, foretold by the prophets, prepared and prefigured by the synagogue, perfected by her Head, Jesus Christ, crowned by the Holy Ghost, who is, as it were, her centre, her heart, her divine life to the consummation of ages. "Yesterday and today and forever."

Sublime crowning of a work embracing all ages, sanctifying all generations, and procuring for us all the graces of salvation! By its means, the true doctrine, prayer, the sacraments and sacrifice will regenerate souls; mankind will pass from darkness to light, from corruption to the purity of angels, from selfishness to perfect charity, from every vice to evangelical sanctity. There will rise and spread over the whole world, the hierarchy of bishops and priests, a multitude of religious orders, and numberless institutions for the relief of every misery and the consolation of every misfortune. Is not this a work more wonderful than the creation itself? In the latter there was question of things natural and temporal; the former regards the kingdom of grace and the mysteries of eternity.

O Spirit of wisdom and fortitude, Thou hast surpassed all our expectations in completing the work of our Redemption. Deign to enlighten me and make known to me more clearly the inconceivable happiness of having been born in the Catholic Church, the column and base of truth, the inexhaustible reservoir of sanctifying graces. Enable me always to derive profit from the sacraments, holy Mass, prayer, the Eucharistic banquet, that I may become a new man, transformed by a lively faith and inflamed with the pure ardors of charity. "Renew Thy signs and work new miracles."

II. Special Effects Of The Descent Of The Holy Ghost.

Scarcely had the apostles received the Holy Ghost than they knew all the mysteries they were to disclose to the world. They, hitherto so ignorant, possessed the science of the Scriptures  and spoke in diverse tongues without ever having studied them. The law of grace was, as it were, engraved in their hearts; they loved it and felt urged to observe it. Their ardent charity rendered them ready to sacrifice their lives a thousand times for the glory and service of their good Master. Hence their zeal for souls which caused them to disperse themselves in all the countries of the world.

How greatly their intrepid courage contrasted with their former timidity! They had fled at the beginning of the Passion, abandoning their Saviour to His enemies, and had thenceforth always kept themselves secluded for fear of arrest, and now they publicly reproached the Jews with having put their Messiah to death. They not merely exposed themselves to persecutions, but also underwent every kind of torture, and finally, sealed with their blood the doctrine they preached by Christ's authority.

And these wonderful effects are not restricted to the apostles, but were imparted to the early Christians, who devoted themselves to mental prayer, mortification, to works of charity and zeal. They unhesitatingly gave up their goods for the use of the community; they kept aloof from worldly pleasures and strove with all their might to keep the divine commandments, and desirous of becoming conformable to Jesus Christ, they offered themselves by thousands and millions to martyrdom. O wonder which surpassed the expectation of all ages and realized the prophecies beyond all hopes.

Do we, like the early Christians, derive profit from the graces of the Holy Ghost? "Those who receive Him," says St. John Chrysostom, "despise temporal riches, and consider it their duty to seek only the treasures of eternity." They delight in poverty and privations, in being isolated from the world and possessing God alone. How faithfully they obey the divine inspirations to keep silence, to be recollected, to devote all their leisure time to prayer, to give up certain affections, certain readings, and to correct certain defects! Do we show ourselves as docile as this to the wishes of the Holy Ghost?

O my God, how far am I from these dispositions, since I so often resist the inspirations of Thy grace! Through the merits of Jesus and Mary, grant me, first, always to bend my judgement and will to all Thou askest of me, and secondly, the courage to obey Thee in disgusts, sadness and adversity, as well as in peace, joy and consolations.