Feast of Pentecost 2023 (Acts 2:1-11) “Enlarge Our Hearts”

Feast of Pentecost 2023 (Acts 2:1-11) “Enlarge Our Hearts”

        Fire, wind, noise, these are all signs of the Spirit moving in the Scriptures.  We could say that these are all disruptive forces in our lives.  We can’t control these natural phenomena. 

        When the Spirit came on that first Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead, what was it that attracted the crowds that were in Jerusalem.  We are simply told it was the sound.  We can imagine a mighty roar when the Spirit moved through Jerusalem.   

        We know what a strong wind is like.  A few weeks ago, we had a tornado move through the Illinois Quad Cities.  The damage that was done was awe inspiring.  I was in church here celebrating a funeral.  Just as the funeral began, the power went out.  The doors of the church flew open because of the change in air pressure.  Everyone felt it.  The air was pulled out of the church like we were sitting in a vacuum.  All we could do was sit and hope the danger would pass, which it did.  And then we went on with our prayer.  None of us who were here will ever forget that Mass. 

        I also recall about a year ago when I received a letter from a cousin of mine who lives in the mountains of Northern California.  I had heard about the wildfires there, but it seemed like the fire was far away, not something that concerned me.  My cousin related how the home that she and her husband had lived in for decades was burned to the ground in a matter of minutes.  The two of them escaped with a few personal items.  Both were happy just to be alive.

        Fire, wind, noise, three powerful forces.  We are told that this is what the Spirit is like.  We might ask how we know the Spirit is at work as we make decisions in the church.  How do we know someone is following the Spirit in their personal life?  If we are taken in a direction that we never thought about, we would know the Spirit is probably at work. 

        We celebrated the Feast of St. Phillip Neri May 26th.  Phillip Neri lived in the 17th Century.  He was born in Florence, Italy to a wealthy family.  He was educated in law and in business.  The future for him was bright.  He had the dreams that many young people have.  He wanted to get the best education and make a lot of money.  He went to Rome where his uncle owned a successful business.  His parents hoped he would inherit his uncle’s wealth.

        Rome was a decadent place.  The church was corrupt.  The leaders of the church had lost their way.  People knew it.  For that reason, most people were agnostic.  Phillip Neri saw all this.  He was appalled.  Phillip Neri wondered what to do.  He was praying one day when he had a profound religious experience.  His heart felt like it expanded with love of God.  When he died it was discovered that he had two broken ribs.  His chest had expanded at some point in his life.  His heart was also abnormally large.

        After that moment Phillip was resolved to serve God, but he did it in his own way.  He studied philosophy and Theology.  He lived in poverty helping people on the margins including the prostitutes of the city.  He lived next to a hospital so he could nurse the sick.  He would engage people on the streets, talking to them about their religious lives.  The conversations would often lead people to go to a church for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Phillip Neri lived this way for seventeen years.  He became a well-known figure.  He is known as the second Apostle of Rome.

        Only later in life was he ordained a priest.  But he continued to reject any kind of clerical privilege.  He gathered other like-minded people, and they started Oratories where people could pray and study.  Philip valued humility above everything else.  He made fun of himself constantly.  He wanted to bring joy to others’ lives.  His life is an example of someone following the Spirit.

        What if all church leaders practiced such humility?  The past week the report came out from the Attorney General of the State of Illinois on sexual abuse.  When we read it, we are struck by how those in authority in the church all too often didn’t follow the promptings of the Spirit.  The most important question wasn’t asked, “What would Jesus do?”  Leaders chose to stifle the movement of the Spirit to protect the institutional church.  But the forces at work were too powerful.  The cry of the wounded was too loud.  The truth has come out.  As a church we need to take the next step.  Now we must all try to follow the promptings of the Spirit as we work through the process of reconciliation.  The church must be reborn again.  In Phillip Neri’s time, the corruption was just as bad.  He didn’t walk away from the church he helped restore it.   

        What we remember today is that the Spirit is still at work.  We shouldn’t stifle it.  We shouldn’t play it safe.  We must cooperate with it.  As Christians it is our calling.  We pray today that the heart of the church will expand as St. Philips heart did, so we can be the merciful Body of Christ we should be.

Reflection Questions:

1.  When I hear the news, do I despair about the church?  What might I do as an apostle?

2.  Have I ever taken a chance in my life?  Was I following the Spirit?

Dear Parishioners,

        On June 11th we will be celebrating the feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord.  We are in a midst of a Eucharistic revival.  We have had activities that remind us of the centrality of the Eucharist in our Christian life.  We will continue to emphasize that we have a most intimate encounter with the Lord every time we come to Mass. 

        We are trying to make the Feast of Corpus Christi a little different this year.  We will be having a Eucharistic procession after the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, June 11th.  Immediately after Mass we will walk around the church grounds and then back into the church.  The Eucharist will be in a monstrance and will lead the way.  When we get back to the church, we will spend a few minutes in adoration.  Then we will have Benediction.

        Eucharistic processions have been used as a public display of faith in many societies.  We show the world how we revere Jesus and the Eucharist.  I hope many parishioners can join us.

        May St. Joseph, patron of the universal church, pray for us.

        Fr. Mark

PS I thank all of you who sent cards and gifts to me on my birthday on May 25th.  As usual, you were most gracious to me.

PPS Congratulations to all graduates especially those who graduated from Seton Catholic Grade School and Alleman Catholic High School.