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After I had
looked at these windows on different occasions, it dawned on me that all of
these windows were surrounded by solid Church walls – all the way around
them except for one. Only one was over a door… When I realized that and
realized which window it was, I said to myself – how appropriate it was that
the door was made under the stained glass window of the Holy Spirit and
Pentecost!...
The window
of the Holy Spirit. The God who is on the move!... the Power and Energy of
God’s Love!
… Who moves
and wants to rush in here like a mighty wind; who wants to transform us and
everything!
… Who wants
to move us out past these solid walls like flames of fire… ignited by Love
and into the world!
The Holy
Spirit can not be contained by solid walls…
The Holy
Spirit wants to rush in here and fill us and touch us and:
-
those
places within us where we feel helpless
-
those
struggles that seem to be too much for us
-
the
circumstances where our sadness is heavy
-
the
times when we feel so alone
-
and
those areas where we are so needy and afraid.
The Holy Spirit wants
to rush in here to “fire-up” our gifts, talents and potentials and to use
this goodness to make a difference in our parish and in our neighborhood.
The Holy
Spirit wants to flow into our parish to show us our beauty, as well as the
beauty of the people around us.
The Holy
Spirit wants to give us the confidant awareness that we truly are God’s
beloved sons, daughters and children – and the Holy Spirit wants to empower
us to act and live that way!
The Holy
Spirit wants to blow in here like a mighty wind that we might smile at each
other, bless each other, touch and heal each other; that we might really get
to know each other beginning with our names! …and that we would let each one
feel special! …
The Holy
Spirit wants to rush in here and burn in here – that no one might be alone;
that new people coming here might feel welcome; that people who have been
here forever will not be taken for granted; that strangers will be embraced
in a warm way; and that we will notice who is not here from week to week and
go and check up on them!
The Holy
Spirit wants to enlighten us to see how lovable and worthy we are, and wants
us to grow and to be strengthened in that self-awareness. The Holy Spirit
wants us to help all those around us to see that same lovableness and worth
in themselves!
This door
symbolically signifies not only the Holy Spirit’s entry into our Church –
but please notice that the door swings the other way…it swings out! The Lord
not only expects that we will be filled with the Holy Spirit, but that we
will go out to help our neighbors – the people living on the streets around
us – to know these truths as well.
While the
Holy Spirit is trying to come into us and make us into the very best person
that we can become, the world is doing its best to do the opposite and keep
Him out. The world is giving its own messages:
‘Be
like this!
Look like that!
Wear those clothes!
Talk that talk!
Cut
those corners!
Value those other things!
Most of
which have absolutely nothing to do with God, and none of which will help us
as the true struggles, difficulties and storms of life come upon us – as
sooner or later they will!
The Holy
Spirit wants to come upon you to help you realize that you are so much more
than all that the world says about you!
The Holy
Spirit is longing to fill you to help you remember who you are:
A
child of God!
You
are from God!
You
belong to God!
Please turn
to a person next to you. Don’t be afraid! I am going to ask you to say
something very simple to each other. Decide who will speak first… Now repeat
after me while looking at that person…
“You are loved by God!
You
are from God!
You
belong to God!
You
are loved!
Okay – now
let’s switch. The person who received that true message will now speak it to
the other person… Repeat after me, looking at that person…
“You are loved by God!
You
are from God!
You
belong to God!
You
are loved!
The Holy
Spirit wants to come here into our Church and into our parish with powerful
force to help you know this, experience this, believe this and to act
according to this; to live your life day by day and moment by moment out of
this truth! … You are loved! You are loved by God! You are from God! You
belong to God!
You are an
unrepeatable child of God! You are a miracle! You are one of a kind! You are
special! And so is everyone else around you in their own right!
One of the
sayings I like declares:
“Our deepest fear is
not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond
measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most. We ask
ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually who are you
not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not save the
world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God
within us!
It’s not just in some
of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our
own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
It is for
this reason we so desperately need to be touched and open to and receive and
be filled by the Holy Spirit!
And it is
why we are now praying~
“Come Holy Spirit!
Come! Do this for us Holy Spirit! Come! Come! Come!”
“Help us see our own
light! Our beauty! Our giftedness! Come!”
“Help us see that we
are yours and that we belong to You!...Come!”
“Help us to feel this
and experience this and to know it in the core of our bones and in every
cell of our being!”
“Help us to think out
of this!
…to act out
of this!
…to live out
of this!
and to
always remember this is who we really are!
And that we
are Yours!”
My dear
friends, the Holy Spirit wants so much to do this for us! The Holy Spirit
wants so much to touch us like this!
Invite the
Holy Spirit in your life anew! Invite the Holy Spirit to take over! Invite
the Holy Spirit in!
Next Sunday
is Pentecost Sunday….Don’t waste any time. Invite the Holy Spirit now…
Invite the Holy Spirit now! … and continue to do so:
“Come Holy Spirit!
Come!”
“Come Holy Spirit!
Come!” |
