I just prayed the prayers for the ninth day of the Novena to the Holy Spirit. That means...it's here!
Pentecost 2017! (insert emoji praise hands here!)
My love for this feast is well documented on this blog. So as I finished my novena today, I asked myself: why do I love this feast so much? In the past, it has been the recognition of freedom that the Spirit provides. Also, the discovery that Christ sent the Spirit to us to help us on our journey; that the Spirit is our "Advocate" (according to John's Gospel).
Today as I reflected, I am reminded that this feast day is a reminder of God's faithfulness for myself personally but also for the Church. And it is also a feast of empowerment, which has been such a theme for peoples this year.
I am reminded of God's faithfulness to me on this day in the past: the times of self discovery and new found freedom in my relationship with God. Times when I have been afraid or unsure, much like the apostles. And these reminders assure me that God is still present and will be faithful to me in the future. Even though things are going pretty smoothly right now- I've settled into my life in Richmond, working two jobs, being part of a spiritual community here, as well as my friend community- I do not want to get too comfortable in my relationship with God or with myself. This feast day is a reminder that the Holy Spirit can come down and shake things up at any time. But the beauty of that is the freedom it allows and also the gifts that the Spirit provides.
The feast day of Pentecost was a moment of faithfulness and empowerment for the Church as well. As mentioned, Christ promised His apostles that He would send them an "Advocate" to help them when He ascended back into heaven. He gave them the Spirit to help them with their mission on earth. And so the Spirit is for us, too. Pentecost reminds us that we have a mission and the Lord advocates for us by giving us the aforementioned gifts to help us in everything we may be called to do.
The Lord has been very faithful to me in always allowing me some time of rest and travel around this time of year as well. This year, I am reuniting with my teacher friend who I've traveled with in the past. We had tossed the idea of going to Morocco around a couple of years ago and this year we made it a reality! We have booked a tour that will take us to Madrid and Southern Spain, Morocco, and Portugal! I am praying to the Holy Spirit to remain faithful by keeping us safe and keeping us open to all that God has for us on this trip.
Prayers for a blessed Pentecost! May we receive the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit and put them to good use this summer and beyond.
Peace,
Julia
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