Feast of Pentecost

​Hello Everyone:

Today is the Feast of Pentecost! Sorry I am posting this late but I am helping a family with four beautiful children while their parents are on a weekend retreat. How I hope they will be blessed with some peace and many many graces from the Holy Ghost!!

I am posting some thoughts from last years Feast Day. What does Pentecost mean? It is called the Birthday of the Church because the Apostles with the presence of Mary become infused with the love and tender gifts of God through the indwelling of the Spirit in a very powerful way similar to that of our Confirmation. We receive Sanctifying Grace at this sacrament and it is the greatest gift of the Holy Ghost! It gives to the soul a resemblance to God, corresponding to His infinite sanctity, and imprints upon it the supernatural likeness of God. Through grace, the soul is clothed in such heavenly beauty that, in comparison, all earthly beauty seems vile.
The value of Sanctifying Grace cannot be expressed. St. Thomas Aquinas says, “The least grace outweighs all the riches of this world.” This is astonishing since it seems that all those around us including our own family members and friends would rather seek the things of the world than to seek and ask God for the greatest gift in the universe – Sanctifying Grace!!

So what is this Sanctifying Grace that we should seek above the empty treasures of this world which we will leave behind? Sanctifying Grace makes us a friend of God. If we die in this Grace – we will be happy FOREVER IN HEAVEN! This should be everyone’s goal! We will become partakers of His Heavenly Kingdom! Now, since all the treasures of Heaven and earth are comprised in God, and God is of infinitely greater value than anything created, it makes perfect sense that if man receives God Himself as a reward for Sanctifying Grace, he must have gained infinitely more than all the treasures of the world! The soul is elevated so high by Sanctifying Grace that it becomes a true child of God. “Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God.” (1 John 3:1)  This is the knowledge that led the saints and continues to lead the saints to give their whole lives to God in His service on this earth so as to be happy with Him in the next. Nothing compares!

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love, proceeding from the Father and the Son. The dispensing of Sanctifying Grace is the great work of God’s love. Hell and all its inhabitants try to rob us of this precious jewel, for the fallen angels realize its value and do not want us to share in it. How often we sell this precious jewel for a trifle found on this earth!! May we pray for the grace to NEVER sell this precious jewel for mortal sin. May we pray for the grace to know that this jewel makes us richer than all the wealth the world can give. May we place ourselves into the hands of the Spouse of the Holy Ghost – Mary. May She protects us from the wiles and deceits of Satan who labors daily and LONGS TO ROB US OF THIS TREASURE!!

Are we unhappy? Are we still seeking happiness? Are we not content with life? Are we anxious or fearful? The means of happiness lies in all Christians going about each day seeking the means of acquiring Sanctifying Grace with greater zeal than the worldlings go about seeking money and worldly treasures!  May we go forward seeking means of Sanctifying Grace through prayer and the Sacraments of the Church in order for the Blessed Trinity to dwell within our souls more and more each day so that we become living temples of God both NOW AND FOREVER! Don’t you want the God of Love to dwell in you?

PS – We are listening to the book on CD of The King of the Golden City  which is an allegory for children but has much wisdom for adults that need to be reminded of what they learned once in catechism. Great holy Catholic family activity for summer months - hint - hint!!

PPS - Valeria, one of these sweet children would like to wish you a very holy Pentecost! She wanted to say something to all of you!  God bless!!

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