Whispers in the loggia: "Lord, Send Forth Your Spirit Upon Us!"

W hen the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,

they were all in one place together.

And suddenly there came from the sky

a noise like a strong driving wind,

and it filled the entire house in which they were.

Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,

which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak in different tongues,

as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim....

* * *

The 50th day of Easter is always significant in the life of Christians....



At least, Church, it's supposed to be.



Even so, Pentecost takes on an even deeper import this time around – his devotion to the Holy Spirit already much in evidence, the Pope is gearing up to serve as the Paraclete's instrument in renewing the face of the earth.



Of course, the journey begins tomorrow – first with morning Mass in St Peter's, then the evening Prayer for Peace Francis proposed two weeks ago to the presidents of Israel and the State of Palestine.



The latter set to begin at 7pm Vatican time (1pm ET, 10am Pacific, 1700GMT) in the Gardens, earlier today the English texts for the interfaith rite – a combination of Jewish, Christian and Muslim prayers – were released. Far afield, meanwhile, an "urgent" appeal that the local churches and "all men and women of good will" join the initiative in prayer and closeness was circulated through the Nunciatures at the Pope's explicit request.



A fortnight since the scenes in Bethlehem and Jerusalem set the stage for the "most daring and ambitious" moment to date of this 14-month pontificate, the "Camp Domus" meeting is just one part of the steeplechase to be met over these coming days: the second is Francis' first meeting with victim-survivors of clergy sex-abuse.



So it'd seem, the high-stakes encounter at the Domus – an unprecedented papal encounter with survivors at the Vatican – is no less on the Pope's mind; beyond Friday's homily on the necessity of maintaining the "love" and integrity of one's priesthood, Papa Bergoglio has taken to speaking repeatedly over recent days "sulle ferite di Cristo" – the "scars" or "wounds of Christ," among which the harrowing assault and exploitation of children – first by clerics or religious, then, far too often, by an at least equally perverse and disgraceful response from ecclesial administration – have served to implode the presence and moral credibility of the fold he now leads in no shortage of places.



Some moments make sufficient words hard to come by, and get ready for a fair share of those in short order. Accordingly, as yet another wild cycle began, began, a Pope who aims to reign on his knees – not to be admired, but that others might, too – did just that last Sunday as he appeared before 50,000 Charismatics in Rome's Olympic Stadium, seeking to be prayed over in the Spirit....

Lord, look upon your people as we await the Holy Spirit. Watch over our young people, watch over our families, watch over our children, watch over our sick, watch over our priests, consecrated men and women, and us bishops… Watch over us all. And grant us that holy inebriation, the drunkenness of the Spirit, which enables us to speak all languages, the languages of charity, ever close to our brothers and sisters who need us. Teach us not to quarrel among ourselves to get a little more power; teach us to be humble, teach us to love the Church more than our own side, than our internal squabbles; teach us to have a heart open to receive the Spirit. Lord, send forth your Spirit upon us! Amen.

* * *

Lastly, while the events of the Holy Land made for a PopeTrip the likes of which most ops couldn't remember, only one could find a fitting parallel. And as it happened, both came from the same place.



Thirty-five years ago this week, the newly-canonized John Paul II made his triumphant homecoming to Poland – Communist Poland – less than eight months after his own shocking election.



In an early glimpse of Wojtyla's preferred style, the eight-day jaunt stretched far and wide across the turf. Not only was it the first papal visit behind the Iron Curtain, but to that point, no modern Pope had spent as much time anywhere outside of Rome.



Still, all it took was the first Mass – at Victory Square in Warsaw, on this very Pentecost Eve – for history's die to be cast. At the close of his homily, he said this....

And I cry — I, a son of Polish soil... now, I, John Paul the Second, the Pope — I cry from all the depths of this Millennium, I cry on this vigil of Pentecost:



Send down your Spirit!

Send down your Spirit!

And renew the face of the earth.



Of this earth!



Amen.

And at that moment, Something was indeed unleashed: in response, the massive throng disrupted the liturgy by repeatedly chanting "We want God!"



Even if it took another decade, in Poland and throughout Europe, Communism fell, and the moment above is routinely cited as the point of no return.



Lest anyone forgot, this kind of thing isn't just the province of the Popes – through Baptism and Confirmation, the gift of the Spirit is given to all God's People, to every "living stone" which comprises His Church, whose "birthday" today is our own and deserves to be taken seriously by each one of us.



That said, you can cry out and pray all you want – Lord knows how many do all the time. For the Spirit to actually do His work, though, each of us actually need to do our part.



That's the only way it's ever gonna happen, gang... and, where it's needed, there's literally no better time to begin again like this.



Just as we pray together that Francis will bring peace to The Land Called Holy, so may the Church he shepherds, this Mother and home we share together, be inspired to take on the work of the same Spirit and come to know the merited fruit of its labors.



And there, folks, the choice is yours... both on our own and as a people, may we know the grace to do it well.





by Rocco Palmo via Whispers in the Loggia