Saints, Holy Spirit, Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pentecost Sunday
“God our Father,
let the Spirit you sent on your Church to begin the teaching of the Gospel
continue to work in the world
through the hearts of all who believe.
We ask this…for ever and ever. Amen.”
This is the opening prayer at Mass on this Pentecost Sunday. The Holy Spirit works through the heart. This may come as no surprise, but what did come as a surprise to me, when reading St. Gertrude the Great’s entries for the Vigil and Feast of Pentecost, was how much the Sacred Heart of Jesus figured in her Pentecost experience. There is much, much more than what I am able to put in one post, but just to give you an idea:
On the vigil of Pentecost, as she was feeling “utter unworthiness” in the face of receiving the Holy Spirit, she felt a cave being created in her heart. “Then she saw a stream of honey coming forth from the Heart of Jesus, and distilling itself into hers, until it was entirely filled. By this she understood that it was the unction and grace of the Holy Ghost which flowed thus sweetly from the Heart of the Son of God into the hearts of the faithful.”
Shortly thereafter there is an experience of breath in which, “His Divine breath entered into her soul”. The Lord told St. Gertrude that, “the respirations of her soul indicated her goodwill, and the breath of Our Lord His acceptance of her good intentions and desires.” The Lord then showed her the different gifts of the Holy Spirit, using images of trees which differed in their fruits. As she approached to receive Holy Communion, the Lord “refreshed her heart by a Divine exhalation, which came forth from His sacred Limbs”. After Holy Communion, she saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove, “descending from Heaven upon the adorable Sacrament, with an impetuous flight like that of an eagle; and seeking the sweet Heart of Jesus, He appeared to enter therein, and find there a most agreeable abode.”
There was more to come. At Terce, as the sisters began to chant Veni Creator, “Our Lord appeared to her and opened His Heart, full of sweetness and tenderness…” St. Gertrude rested her head in the centre of His Heart, and the Lord pressed her head into Himself and united her will to His and sanctified it. Then, during the second verse, Qui, Paraclitus diciris, St. Gertrude placed “the hands of her soul [her actions] in the Heart of Jesus. At the third verse, Tu septiformis gratia (sic) [Thou Who art sevenfold in Thy Grace] St. Gertrude placed, “the feet of her soul [her desires] in the Sacred Heart…”
From The Life and Revelations of St. Gertrude the Great (For the Vigil and Feast of Pentecost) pgs. 396-400)
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Dear Lord, please send your Holy Spirit to us in the weeks ahead to enlighten our minds, hearts, and souls. Help us to enter as fully as possible into the true meaning of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They come so quickly one upon the other that we can scarcely catch our breath. Breathe your Divine Breath into us. Help us enter the Mystery.
11 May 2008 gabrielle
Amen.
Amen, amen.
“the hands of her soul.. the feet of her soul..” into Christ. Oh man, what a passionate soul she was. Hagiography usually misses passionate love by a light-year.
Between this, a most astoundingly holy and sweet RC Mass, and Abbot Joseph’s speaking today of how much Jesus loved the Holy Spirit (as he says, That’s something we don’t hear much about!), I wasn’t sure either of my feet were touching the beach today. Thank you.
And, I’m sure many do this, while holding a wee handful of teensy rocks — the teensiest were like diamonds — I just marveled that ancient feet walked on these when they were boulders–feet of others whom the Lord loved. We’re all so interconnected from age to age to age to age..in Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, for the greater glory of God the Father.. God, Who loves us despite our every shortcoming. In Mass, I was thinking suddenly that there may be a book inside me about the Sacrament of Love.
I love the tree thing.. I had wanted to make Stations of pray, alloting one Station per tree here in our yards, but I may not have enough out back where few could spot me. But I can dedicate a tree to each of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, our Paraclete.
Thank you for that, too.
Oh, pardon my typos.. that little guy who was once a tiny baby with a big gaping hole where his nose and mouth, sinuses and palate ought to all have been separated — over whom I marveled once again in the car not long ago for being so danged gorgeous –one cannot tell he’s ever had a thing wrong with him (and bless China for the special nursing bottles that saved his life), had come in crying before I could look it over. He’d taken a header off his bike out there with Grandpa, and smacked that gorgeous nose so hard, there was a little rock embedded in it. We applied the miracle cure of listening to Grandma’s stomach for a few moments while looking at the late afternoon trees, so full. (Orrrrr maybe it was the popsicle, who knows.)
Gabrielle, i’m so thankful i stopped by to read this. i join the others in saying Amen!
Carol, it would not surprise me at all if you had a book inside you about the Sacrament of Love. Try to get it outside of you, okay?
I love your idea of the trees dedicated to the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, or as you mentioned in your comment on a different post, dedicated to the virtues. Whatever you choose, it’s a beautiful idea, and will be a beautiful reality for you, family and friends.
I hope the little one has recovered from his fall, shock and nose-hurt!
Hi Ann and Laure. I hope you both enjoyed a beautiful and restful Pentecost Sunday.