Question: "Why is the Virgin Birth so important?" Emboldened with the gift of God, St. Peter preached to the crowds, and 3,000 people were baptized that day. She, who at the start of the Redemption gave us her Son, now by her most powerful intercession obtained for the newborn Church the prodigious Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit of the Divine Redeemer who had already been given on the Cross. Mary is God’s chosen vessel who assists in attuning our hearts to perceive the Holy Spirit prompting us, “Go this way, not that way” or “Arise and begin this work that I am calling you to do.”. When you sign up, you'll receive a FREE copy of my e-book on Saint Thomas Aquinas. The tongues of fire that appeared in the Upper Room infused their hearts and minds with charisms and gifts required for their vital mission of evangelizing the world: worshipping, preaching, teaching, healing, administrating, serving and unifying the people of God. Suddenly there was a sound of wind and fire, and they were all “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4). It is the relationship between child and mother that shapes the devotion of the brown scapular, and why St. Therese of Lisieux wrote … The Son loves her perfectly as His mother. Today, Barry Cooper describes the similarities and differences between those events so we may better know God’s gifts to His people of deliverance and life. Yet God chose to accomplish these great redemptive mysteries. When the Angel greeted Mary: Hail, full of grace (Lk 1:28), she was already possessed by the Holy Spirit and filled with His grace. Catholic Exchange is a project of Sophia Institute Press. Weddings usually lasted for seven days, during which time food and wine supplied by the bride’s and groom’s families flowed freely. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus have provided for us the very Gift of God—the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jesus instructed the disciples after the resurrection to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4). The Holy Spirit chose her as His Spouse – to be united to His mission on earth. Suddenly there was a sound of wind and fire, and they were all “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4). At Pentecost the Blessed Virgin Mary received the Holy Spirit with unique fullness because hers is the freest human heart. Zion was so important for ancient followers of God because that was the only place where one could be in God’s presence. The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost prepared Mary and the Apostles for their respective post Ascension missions. Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Pentecost, The Holy Spirit acts in the Church as the soul acts in the members of a body (Sermon, 267)”. It is in the disciple’s openness to the presence of Mary is what we Carmelites try to maintain through our lives of prayer and service to the Church. The meaning of Pentecost is God’s equipping His church with the power of His Spirit so that He will be glorified among the nations. The Lord promised to those who love Him: we will come to him and make our home with him (Jn 14:23). In Our Lady this promise is most fulfilled since she, the masterpiece of God is most prepared to be the living tabernacle of the Son of God and temple of the Holy Spirit. Her union with God unites her to the tender mercies of God. Pentecost was originally celebrated by the Jews to remember the day the law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. This coming Sunday, Christians across the world will celebrate Pentecost. In fact, not all Christians recognize this holiday (holy day). All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.... (there was a group of about 120 persons in … Thus, it is an action that none should lightly undertake. Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ: Mary is called the Mother of the Church, because she’s the Mother of Christ, and the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ.So the Mother of Christ can also be called the Mother of his Mystical Body. How that takes place is important to address, but the “why” behind it is something that must be considered. The upshot of this is that Mary has everything she needs to see our problems—as well as our potential for holiness—and to help us grow into little Christs. She can teach us to do the same —to abide with the same docility to the Holy Spirit’s action in our soul. Lawrence Lew, OP / Flickr, Praying for Priests: An Urgent Call for the Salvation of Souls. Volume one is the gospel that bears his name. This was the birthday of the Catholic Church, which is the mystical Body of Christ. The Christian world celebrates Pentecost; this is a celebration which comes fifty days after Easter. Mass Attendance Plummets - Will Catholics come back? The Church is Christ’s living mystical body breathing with two co-dependent lungs: institutional and charismatic—as St. John Paul said at the 1998 Pentecost Vigil in Rome. First, let’s look at how Scripture describes the event. Catholics believe that Easter, however, "is the greatest of all Sundays, and Easter Time is the most important … Pentecost is the event whereby the Holy Spirit comes in full power to enable Christians who have been declared righteous to actually be righteous. With God there is always more and ever-new grace for souls and the work of the Church. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; grant, we beseech Thee, that through His Mother, the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Could God the Son have become incarnate without Mary? Advent gives us a vision of our lives as Christians and shows us the possibilities of life. We are not able to see Jesus as did the Apostles but we have God with us through the abiding gift of the Holy Spirit. Sign up to receive my FREE Catholic updates via e-mail and receive a FREE copy of my e-book, Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages: A Quick Layman's Guide to Thomism. Today, sunny and hot, and you showed up again Saint Mary's strong. So let’s look back! Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. [42] Mt 1:23. All rights reserved. Pope Francis = Christian + Muslim + Jewish, or New World Religion, Trad Confusion: Is Jan 1 Mother of God, Circumcision or Octave of Christmas. St. Augustine of Hippo. Submit your email and I'll email it to you (and I promise to NEVER share your email address): Submit your email and I'll email it to you (and I promise to NEVER share your email): You can now receive my blog posts from this site more quickly and easily by becoming an email subscriber by clicking here. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis on the Holy Spirit, 1. image: Dies Pentecostes by Fr. In this section, six academic experts explain what we … Through the same Christ our Lord. | R. Jared Staudt, PhD, The Lost Riches of Catholic Catechisms with Aaron Seng of Tradivox, The Catholic Faith in Public Life After the 2020 Election with Derek Rotty. Isaiah 2:2-4; Joel 2:28-30) and identified with the day of Pentecost by the inspired apostle (Acts 2:16, 17; cf. It was the day on which the Holy Spirit made a unique visit to the earth. Fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death and the grave, and ten days after He ascended up into heaven, a great event took place, the equal of which the world has not witnessed since. Pentecost is the event whereby the Holy Spirit comes in full power to enable Christians who have been declared righteous to actually be righteous. Mary, Last week, it was cloudy and damp and you showed up. Lawrence Lew, OP / Flickr, Tagged as: The Litany of Loretto refers to Our Lady as the “Mother of the Church” and this is precisely why. Volume two is the book of Acts. As Jesus embarked on his public ministry, Mary followed and remained with him all the days of his life. (, Dies Pentecostes by Fr. Kathleen Beckman, L.H.S. The Father thinks of her first when He considers creation. Even unto the morrow after the seventh week be expired, that is to say, fifty days, and so you shall offer a new sacrifice to the Lord.”1 Th… In this way, despite what one believes about who is to be baptized (i.e., infants or adults only) baptism must be connected to how one lives. The Litany of Loretto refers to Our Lady as the “Mother of the Church” and this is precisely why. Mary is the Mother of the Church; but so too Mary is the model of the Church. This is the final era of earth’s history, and it spans the period from Pentecost to the second coming of Christ. Prior to the arrival of Jesus, Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks began as a celebration day for the Israeli people. The Jews also refer to this celebration… Could God the Son have performed His first miracle at Cana without Mary? She is the most perfect creature. Pentecost means "fiftieth day," and the Bible describes two very significant “fiftieth day” events. Our Lady, collaborating always with the Holy Spirit in souls, exercises maternal wisdom for all her children. Redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son and united to Him by a close and indissoluble tie, she is endowed with the high office and dignity of the Mother of the Son of God, and therefore she is also the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Yes. Mary reared Jesus and looked after him as a child. 8. At Pentecost the Blessed Virgin Mary received the Holy Spirit with unique fullness because hers is the freest human heart. Christ said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” Spirit of truth, guide me always, I pray. In the nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost (this was the first novena), Mary was praying that the Apostles might come to know Him whom she already knew. Question: "Why is the Virgin Birth so important?" is the President and Co-founder of the Foundation of Prayer for Priests (www.foundationforpriests.org), an international apostolate of prayer and catechesis for the holiness of priests. In her diocese she serves as the lay coordinator of exorcism and deliverance ministry having completed courses on liberation from evil at Mundelein Seminary and in Rome. A third reason why Jesus’ resurrection stands out above all others is because it alone was foretold in the Old Testament. And the ascension was so important for Luke, that he ended volume one with it (Luke 24:50-51), begins volume two by reporting it again (Acts 1:9-11), and then refers back to it several times in the book of Acts. Because Mary Most Holy, has been called by the Church, and in a particular way, by Saint Francis of Assisi, “Spouse of the Holy Spirit”. Lumen Gentium, Taylor’s books about Catholicism at amazon.com. [45] See Mt 2. Because of her “yes” though, she became not only a mother, but the mother of Jesus. Important to note - We may not experience the sound of violent wind, or see the appearance of tongues of fire or suddenly speak in another foreign language. (Lumen gentium, 53). Moreover, the Holy Ghost overshadowed her in a powerful way at the virginal conception of Christ our Lord. We are the church. Could God the Son have sent the Holy Ghost on Pentecost without the present of Mary? Her whole life, then, was a communication with the Holy Ghost and she profoundly understood the mystery of the Holy Trinity – far better than the Council Fathers of Nicea, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon. Pentecost is the day the Church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit on Christ’s disciples after his ascension into heaven. Mary was the mother of Jesus. It could be said then, that the way forward is the way back. St. Augustine teaches, “What the soul is to the body of man, the Holy Spirit is in the Body of Christ which is the Church. Here are just a few reasons why trees are vital to humans. The context of Pentecost matters. The Bible teaches the following concerning how the Holy Spirit was involved with the … What is the Christian Celebration of Pentecost All About? All our good works, every prayer that we offer, the promptings and desires which impel us to be better, the necessary help to realize the inspirations of God, is the work of the Holy Spirit, our sweet divine guest, comforter, and sanctifier. Although she remained silent, as she did at the cross, she earnestly prayed that her Divine Spouse would visit these 120 faithful who were the first fruits of the Catholic Church. With God unites her to the Father ( Acts 2:1 ) and looked after him a... At Pentecost the Holy Trinity Saint Thomas Aquinas Jesus embarked on His public,!: Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and John Roberts could be said,... 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