Preparing for Pentecost

Last week at our Catholic Callout at the prison a guest speaker didn’t show up, so I had to come up with something off the top of my head to fill half an hour after mass. I ended up inviting the men to prepare for Pentecost by asking them to consider and discuss what particular gift they hoped to receive from the Holy Spirit.

Frankly, it had never before occurred to me before to “prepare” for Pentecost. It always seemed like the Holy Spirit just magically appeared, whether on the breath of the risen Christ when he visited the disciples or on the tongues of flame that descended on them in Jerusalem. However, upon reflection it seems that we do have the responsibility to set the stage or prepare the ground for the Spirit’s arrival. We do this by readying our hearts and summoning the courage to receive the gifts the Spirit chooses to bestow by gathering together in community and through prayer.

Timothy, an early church leader, suggests that we also have the responsibility “to stir into flame the gift of God that you have received” (2 Timothy 1:6). It is one thing to be given a gift; it is another to have the good zeal to make use of it. Are we willing to invest the time and energy to help God make all things new, or are we too invested (or stuck) in our current viewpoints and patterns? Perhaps one of our prayers to prepare for Pentecost can be a line from the song God, Whose Purpose Is to Kindle by David E. Trueblood: “Lift the smallness of our vision / By your own abundant life.”

One man who had greatness of vision and the desire to share God’s abundant life, Robert F. Kennedy, famously said, “Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.” As Pentecost approaches, let us prepare ourselves to share in the Spirit’s dream of creating a world where we say “Why not?” to overcoming division, celebrating diversity, and recognizing the divine presence in each other and in all of creation.

The Kiss of Peace

Many young people are embarrassed when they see their parents exhibiting what they term “PDA”—public displays of affection. However, I believe that secretly they are pleased at this demonstration of love, because it provides a sense of security. My own parents didn’t display much overt affection, but I do remember that when my dad came home from work every night at 6 pm, the first thing he did was stop in the kitchen, put down his coffee thermos, and kiss my mom. I never had any doubt about my parents’ love for each other; a divorce would have been outside the realm of possibility and was not something I ever had to worry about.

Good marriages and other loving relationships echo the way Jesus and his Father relate to each other. As Jesus says in today’s Gospel reading (Jn 16:29-33), “I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.” We are able to rest in the love generated between the three persons of the Trinity, which gives us a peace that the world cannot take away. Furthermore, we not merely witnesses to that love but are invited to share in it, giving us a sense of belonging and joy.

Jesus himself said, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” This love was demonstrated by the early Christian community, as noted by the writer Tertullian, who quoted a pagan official as saying, “Look at how much they love each other!” Thus we who rest in the love of Creator, Christ, and Spirit are all challenged to engage in PDAs—the affection that leads us to nourish and support each other, stand up for persons who are mistreated, and provide the healing presence that we experience in the Trinity to others who need it.

Come O Wisdom

This week at the prison, I suggested that the men prepare themselves for Pentecost by thinking about what gift they would like to receive from the Holy Spirit at this time in their lives. I was surprised at how many of them said they wanted understanding, wisdom, or knowledge. It was as if they were channeling St. Paul, who said, “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened that you may know what is the hope that belongs to God’s call…and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe….” (Eph 1:17-19).

I think that many of the inmates have a growing sense that God is working in their lives and want a better understanding of what God asks of them, how God works in the world, and how they can grasp God’s love and forgiveness. The hope that belongs to God’s call is a lifeline to them—the hope that they can trust in God’s power and have fullness of life and peace. Can’t we all say the same thing?

Like us, the inmates also seem to want wisdom so they can understand both themselves and the people they are living with and thus be better equipped to respond to behaviors that flow from fear, woundedness, and ego defenses (e.g., acting out, denial, displaced aggression, and avoidance). To pray for a spirit of wisdom and understanding seems particularly important at this time in our society when the divisions between groups of people are so prevalent and entrenched.

We have a week or so to prepare ourselves for our celebration of Pentecost. May we all pray that the Spirit will gift us and our world with the wisdom and understanding we need to let God’s healing and love flow unimpeded in our lives.

Christ Enfleshed

The Feast of the Ascension makes me think of the following story:

A little boy who was frightened one night during a thunderstorm called out from his room, “Daddy, I’m scared!” His father, not wanting to get out of bed, answered, “Don't worry, son. God loves you and will take care of you.” After a moment of silence, the little boy replied, "I know God loves me, but right now, I need somebody who has skin on!"

After Christ, in the form of the risen Jesus, returned to his Father, his disciples had to make the transition from having Emmanuel with them to having Emmanuel in them. Many people are eager to see the face of Jesus in everything from a toasted cheese sandwich to the flames that recently engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral, because we want a God with “skin on.” However, Christ is enfleshed when we follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to be present to each other as Jesus was present to his disciples—through conversation, eating together, serving one another, and responding compassionately to the physical and spiritual needs of those in distress.

It is difficult for us to accept that Christ dwells in us—that we are now Christ’s voice, hands, and feet. We feel too common, too ordinary. We lose sight of the fact that it is in Christ that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28) and that we have been invited to share in the life of the Trinity, for Jesus said, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our dwelling with them” (Jn 14:23). We who have both skin on and Christ within have abundant life to share.

From Your Lips to My Heart

Henri Nouwen said, “Jesus was all ear.” Gospel stories about Jesus indicate that he gave his full attention to whatever person was before him; thus he was able to read people’s hearts, intuit what was troubling them, and discern their particular need for healing.

It is difficult for us to give that level of attention to the people we encounter. Without even realizing it, we are formulating an answer as others are talking, which prevents us from being fully present to them. Listening requires being comfortable with silence after someone speaks, so we can absorb and reflect on what was said before we respond. We are lucky if we have someone in our lives who can model being all ear for us.

My Uncle Barney was such a person for me. He was a shy bachelor farmer who lived alone for many years after my grandmother died. When I visited him, we sat in his cool, musty living room, and after one of us made a comment, two or three minutes would pass before a response was made. The long stretches of silence didn’t make me anxious; on the contrary, I found it very restful to be with him, and I discovered that talking is not a necessary aspect of being present to someone.

We live in a noisy world. When we are able to quiet ourselves through prayer, time in nature, and the creation of art, we can give others a gift they seldom receive—we can listen to them so that what they say doesn’t go out our other ear but into our heart.

An Ancient Remedy for Modern Problems

Benedictine communities have been in existence for more than 1500 years. To exist that long requires a blend of firm principles and the flexibility to respond to the needs of the times. St. Benedict set the principles in place in his Rule:

• Listen with the ear of your heart

• Welcome guests as you would Christ

• Live simply

• Set aside time each day for prayer, work, meals with others,           leisure/contemplation, and sleep

• Be obedient to the voice of God and to one another

• Put down roots in one community

• Distribute goods according to need

• Take special care of the sick, children, guests, and the poor

• Cultivate humility

• Regard all utensils and goods as sacred vessels of the altar

• Refrain from grumbling, gossiping, and idleness

As we attempt to live by these principles, we also need to respond to the needs of our times so we can be of service to others. Given our principles, Benedictines can particularly speak to the following situations we face in the 21st century:

• Isolation resulting from overuse of technology and working long hours. Humans are flesh and blood, not images on a screen. We have a God who became incarnate. Communicating solely through electronic devices does not satisfy our need for connection, and working too much creates stress and disease. Benedictines show that it is possible and desirable to live with each other and pursue balance.

• Racism and intolerance that leads to violence. Many people in our world seem to be incapable of tolerating persons of different races or religions. The Benedictine practice of hospitality—welcoming all guests as Christ regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, sexual orientation, religion, or culture—affirms the value of all humans and leads to peaceful coexistence.

• Overconsumption and destruction of the earth. We are destroying our own habitat by fouling our water, air, oceans, and soil with carbon, chemicals, and plastic. In 2012, the top 0.6% of the world’s population held 39.3% of the world’s wealth. The Benedictine practices of living simply and distributing goods according to need provide a model for protecting the earth and ensuring that all people’s basic needs are met.

Although St. Benedict's Rule was written more than 1500 years ago, the principles it outlines can help us meet our modern challenges. However, we must summon the will and the faithfulness to apply these Benedictine practices in our lives today and share them with others.

Life in Miniature

I recently visited the National Museum of Toys and Miniature in Kansas City, Missouri. Although I enjoyed revisiting the toys I played with as a child (Spirograph! Mouse Trap! Operation!), what really astounded me was the intricacy of the miniature pieces. Many items had to be viewed under a microscope, such as fleas dressed in human clothing, the painting of a panda bear on a grain of rice, and the Lord’s Prayer inscribed on a piece of ivory the size of my thumbnail. I particularly enjoyed a tableau of a clock shop with a watchmaker’s bench that included many of the tools I remember my father using.

It gives me faith in humankind to know that there are people in the world who have the patience to craft such tiny pieces of art. Technology has had the effect of shortening our attention span, but we are still capable of becoming absorbed in the painstaking act of creation. When we create, our breathing slows and we learn something of God’s timing, in which our gifts and experiences unfold in a contemplative space that permits integration and a sense of contentment.

Teilhard de Chardin said, “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.” Letting ourselves be captivated by the tiny and intricate aspects of our world can help us put on the mind of Christ, which includes slowing down and appreciating every little bit of creation.