The Third Glorious Mystery
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
By May/June 2009
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Speaking the language of love
“When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” Acts 2:1-4
Fifty days have passed since the disciples encountered the Risen Lord. They are gathered together, awaiting the promised gift of the Creator’s Breath. This Holy Spirit of God comes to them through a fierce wind and in flames of fire. Suddenly, the disciples can speak to all present, in each person’s language. Everyone understands one another. They are filled with courage to share Jesus’ Good News with all. The Church is born.
The Spirit is the breath of God, the breath of life. This Spirit was present at the beginning of creation when God’s Spirit hovered over the waters and when God breathed life into Adam and Eve. This is the Spirit that Jesus returned to the Creator at the moment of his death: “Father! In your hands I place my spirit.” This is the Pentecost Spirit that teaches us a new language: the language of dialogue, of respect, of tolerance, of love. Division and disunity are overcome; acceptance and unity prevail. The Holy Spirit graces us with the gifts of enthusiasm and courage. The Holy Spirit is God’s life-presence pulsating though our hearts.
How do I experience the Holy Spirit in my life? Can I understand the various languages of the people I meet in my life—the languages of pain, of loneliness, of suffering, of anger, of despair? Have I learned to speak the language of compassionate love through my words and actions?
Mission Call
When we go to mission, we must often learn a new language. We become children again as we develop a new way of communicating. Besides new words, we learn new customs, new ways of doing things. We learn especially about new ways to pray. We learn of another people’s understanding of God. We come to know how they know Jesus. We also work at learning the language of dialogue, of justice and peace.
As we pray, let us ask God to make us more aware of the Holy Spirit working in us. Let us pray that we may learn the language of compassionate love. Let us ask God to bring peace to our world, through dialogue, forgiveness, and trust.
Amazon Word
Three Makuxi friends drop by: Ruth, Joana, and Marta. We sit down to study one of the Makuxi legends, pouring over the Makuxi text written down in 1936 by a Benedictine missionary monk. The story is about how the slow, humble turtle manages to outwit the fierce, fast jaguar. The turtle asks for help from his friends. “It’s like, the poor people are the turtle and the rich are the jaguar,” says Marta. “In the end, when the turtles work together, they overcome the solitary jaguar.” The Makuxi have struggled for more than 30 years to consolidate their land reserve. They also wish to revitalize their language, spoken by 15,000 Makuxi in Brazil and 5,000 in Guyana. Our Diocese helps them to publish books in Makuxi. Within this century, 90 percent of the world’s 6,000 languages will disappear. Part of our mission is to protect our linguistic diversity. We hope Makuxi will be spoken a hundred years from now.
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