June 4, 2017

Pentecost:
Three Pillars of Belonging 

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

Today’s solemnity has its origin in the Jewish feast of Shavout, a harvest festival. The Greek speaking Jews called it Pentecost which means fifty since Shavout was celebrated on the 50^th day after Passover. In time this harvest festival turned into a day to commemorate the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai.
 
The Church celebrates Pentecost on the 50^th day after Easter, recalling the coming of the Holy Spirit in wind and fire upon the disciples empowering them for their mission. For this reason, Pentecost is often referred to as the Birthday of the Church.
 
The Catechism teaches us that the Holy Spirit comes “to meet us and kindles faith in us through Baptism and Confirmation. But we also know that the Holy Spirit is the Temple, the very soul of the Church, the source of the Church’s life and unity. Today we rejoice in this gift and consider our sense of belonging to the Church—which is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Pope Francis recently spoke about this, pointing out that there are three “pillars” to belonging the Church.
 
The first is humility. A proud person, he said, is not open; he or she is unable to hear with the Church. A proud person hears only what he or she likes. Belonging to the Church means having the humility to say, “I am only a small part of the great people that walks the path of the Lord.” How many people claim to be Catholic but take it upon themselves to choose what they want to believe and create their own personal version of Catholicism. Sadly, we see this often in our political leaders who say, “I am Catholic, but….” Others say, “I am Catholic but it really doesn’t matter what you believe as long you’re a good person.”
 
Pope Francis said, “The Christian is not baptized to receive Baptism and then go on his way!” It is an absurd dichotomy to love the Christ without the Church! Why? Because the Church is the Bride of Christ and he died for her. How can we say we love Christ without loving his Bride? Imagine if we said to a friend, “I love you, I admire you, you’re great. But your bride…she’s another story.” I doubt you would remain friends for long!

Carlo Carretto, was a wealthy businessman who gave it all up to become a Little Brother of Jesus. He spent the rest of his life as a hermit in North Africa. (Some parishioners would love it if their pastor…) Carlo Carretto struggled with the Church but wrote this:
 
“No, I cannot free myself from you, because I am you, though not completely. And besides, where would I go? Would I establish another? I would not be able to establish it without the same faults, for they are the same faults I carry in me. And if I did establish another, it would be my Church, not the Church of Christ. I am old enough to know that I am no better than anyone else.
 
This is the humility we need in belonging to the Church.
 
The second pillar Pope Francis points to is fidelity. St. Boniface reminds us that “The Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship, but to keep her on course.” We can always point to elements in the Church that trouble us. Does the Church have struggles, problems? No doubt. We often look for perfection in the Church…we will not find it. It is made of sinners striving to be saints. Listen to Carlo Carretto:
 
“How baffling you are, O Church, and yet how I love you! How you have made me suffer, and yet how much I owe you! I would like to see you destroyed, and yet I need your presence. You have given me so much scandal and yet you have made me understand what sanctity is. I have seen nothing in the world more compromised and yet I have touched nothing more pure, more generous, more beautiful. How often I have wanted to shut the doors of my soul in your face, and how often I have prayed to die in the safety of your arms.” Belonging means being faithful.
 
The third pillar is prayer. We pray for many things, for many persons and intentions. Let us not forget to pray for the Church so that it can be what it should be in the world. That it can be holy, united, effective in being a reflection of Christ in the world. Cardinal Martini of Milan wrote, “When I was young I prayed for the Church I wanted. Now, I pray for the Church—that it be what Christ wills it to be.”
 
On this great feast, let us pray that the Holy Spirit increase our sense of belonging…granting us humility, fidelity, and an ever-prayerful spirit.