These past two weekends surrounding the Ascension and the aforementioned feast (aka the end of the Easter Season!) have found me with some of my favorite people and appreciating the way the Spirit works through people in my life.
So let's start with last weekend, shall we?
It should come as no surprise that last weekend found me at one of the many weddings I have been invited to. This time, it was a friend through my friends in Leesburg during my youth ministry days (though my friends themselves are not necessarily affiliated with youth ministry and this makes me kind of love them even more ;)
The wedding was different than the traditional church ceremony followed by post-church ceremony cocktail hour and country club reception. It was very unique and true to the couple- simple and family focused.
It was held at an outdoor pavilion in the middle of small town PA...
There were sooo many laughs and good stories from that weekend, but my favorite (and to tie this all back to the subject at hand) involves the Holy Spirit.
After the reception, one of my friends and I rolled into a Sheetz to get some bottled water for everyone (after an open bar, hydration is KEY, people...). As soon as I walked in, one of the security guards zoned in on me. I thought he was going to interrogate me on where we had been and where we were going, etc, etc, but instead he asked me a simple question:
"Do you have the fire?"
My response: "I do!"
It was almost like renewing baptismal vows... except it wasn't really like that at all. But almost?
My friend (who is Jewish) was just amazed that I knew what the heck the dude was talking about...of course, he was talking about the Holy Spirit! He went onto tell me that he could tell I had "it" and that his pastor wasn't well and I left telling him I would pray for his pastor.
So when the feast of Pentecost rolled up this Sunday, I thought of that security guard and "the fire" that is inside of us because of the Holy Spirit and our baptism.
I spent this feast of Pentecost with two of the same friends I had gone to the wedding with last weekend. They were hosting a Memorial Day BBQ (2nd annual! :) and I made the trip down to Richmond to be there.
While I was there, I went to Mass where my friend who was ordained in Richmond last year is currently "stationed" and was privileged to witness him say Mass. I had been to his FIRST Mass after he was ordained, but this was my first time at a Mass where he was presiding since then. It is still so stinking cool to have someone you know well preside over a Mass!
He gave a great homily that was both community focused as well as academic. I very much appreciated it. He spoke of how we aren't so far removed from the early Church community, it's just that we aren't nearly as united as they once had to be: ONE faith, ONE baptism... Their new faith brought the early Church members together and unified them despite persecution from practically everyone else. Today faith and persecution tend to drive us apart. I thought he made really good points and I love when homilies focus on the message and core teachings of the Church instead of just politics or whatever entertaining story the priest thinks the congregation wants to hear.
I went out to lunch with Father B. afterwards (and had the best Nutella crepes EVER, omg!!) and it is always so great to catch up with him when I'm in Richmond.
In between the Ascension of last weekend and the Pentecost of this most recent weekend, I got to also spend time with some of my closest friends from my days at CUA. It was a great evening, but unfortunately, an event we wish we didn't have to come together for...again. (here is where I mention our friend Dan battling leukemia for the FIRST time...) Our dear friend Dan has had another run-in with leukemia, though he is in remission (again). We all came together for a happy hour and auction in which the proceeds went to helping out he and his wife with cost of treatments. It was beautiful to see my friends come together for this, and it was a spectacular reunion of sorts, again, we just wished it could've been under different circumstances.
But my reflection this week is on how the Spirit is moving through my encounters and I pray to be ever more in-tune to where He is moving...
...I'm happy to say He will be moving for only 6 MORE teaching days at school, however! YESssssssssss!!!!!!!
Come, Holy Spirit!
Peace,
Julia
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