Lepanto
Three years have changed the world. The eleven apostles Jesus called to follow him embarked on an unexpected journey. The journey was long. It involved following him everywhere he went. They were sent out by him to preach the gospel to every person and town along the way. Then, they entered Jerusalem, and it was go time.
It began with his entry, cleansing the house of God, sharing with them one final foreshadowing of what was about to unfold, continued with his betrayal and death, and ended with his resurrection and ascension. They were confused yet they did what was expected of them.
He reappeared to them in the forty days leading to his ascension. He gave them the power to forgive sins. As St. John recalls, “he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." In other words, without the spirit, they have no power to forgive the sins of man. Forgiveness was seen as a vital part of the unity of the church to be maintained and peace to be strengthened. This church was established by Christ and continues to grow through the spirit.
St. Paul speaks of this communion. He wrote to Cornith,
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. (I Corinthians 12:12-14).
Ten days after his ascension they all gathered in the upper room. They prayed and as St. Luke recalls in Acts,
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Throughout the Easter season, we hear in the Acts of the Apostles about the growth of the Catholic Church. His saving mission continues today through faithful followers and steadfast clergy.
Recently, Harrison Butker, a three-time Super Bowl champion, spoke at Benedictine College about the need for Catholics to be bold in their faith. We too must do the same in our vocations. He even goes the distance to challenge the clergy to stop worrying about being popular and start talking about issues that matter. Maybe it’s time for us to do the same. Further, he called out Catholics who promote abortion, gay marriage, gender ideology, communism, and restrictions.
Chesterton reminds us that the Catholic Church doesn’t move with the world but rather moves the world. For three centuries, the church has moved the world.
It overcame persecutions, inquisitions, Islamic invasions, and conspiracies from godless communists, and it will continue to do it in the 21st Century. How? It was through faithful witnesses, followers, and courageous Catholics from all walks of life.
The Catholic Church needs a new Pentecost. The new one begins when every Catholic embraces their vocation in life. Psalm 104 reminds us, “When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”
It is time to ask the Holy Spirit to come down and renew the church and its followers. We need to rekindle the fire that once consumed the world in 33 AD.
Come Holy Spirit! Come Holy Spirit! Come Holy Spirit!