The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1956-05-18
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or lneonsidersis

ue lhurcn may be AID 10 nave had Its pre-
natal existence from the moment OF its founding
by Our Lord before His Passion and in the days
of its final formation after the Resurrection from
the Dead. 1t was when the Holy Ghost came on
the Day of Pentecost that the Church emerged
as world figure and was at once "a city set on
hill, that cannot be hid"
The word PentecoSt is really Greek for fifti-
eth; the Day is the rounding out of seven full
weeks after Easter, and is the fiftieth day in
that series Sometimes Penecost Sunday is call
ed Whltsnnddy that is White Sunday; this is an
old name among the English members of the
Church, and probably arose from the fact that
solemn baptism of adults was tremendously
conferred on Pentecost, and the persons to be
baptized were clothed in white robes.
God in Trinity is present everywhere and al
ways, and He works His wonders in the world
and in ourselves, particularly when we have
been made His own temples by the sacrament
of Baptism But it is our custom-as help to
our limited understandng,-to attribute to the
Person of God the Holy Ghost all the spiritual
gifts and dowers we receive from THE Father
of Lights by the merting of the Eternal Son.
Our Savior
The Holy Ghost is the Divine Bestower of
Gifts. In every sacrament received. in every in
crease of sanctfyng grace in every actual grace
impaired, we experience the most tender and
loving care of the Third Person of the Blessed
Trinity. In special way-in way comparable
to His descent upon the Church on the first
Pentecost Sunday,-ve receive the Holy Ghost
in the sacrament of Confirmation.
The Apostles waited, with the Blessed Mother
and the little band of disciples for the coming of
the Holy Ghost Our Lord had instructed them
to do this, and they obedent But they
were full of fear and anxiety. They hardly knew
how to 20 about the business of teaching the
truth OF the Catholic Religion to mankind. They
had been ordered to preach the gospel TO every
creature to go into the whole world" and
make disciples of all nations" They were TO
baptize; they were TO forgive sins; they were to
offer Holy Mass they we're to shepherd and
spiritually rule the sheep of Christ; they were
constantly to expand the fold. And they we're
afraid and hesitant.
Two things were lacking TO the Apostles
those first Bishops of the Church,-full and de-
tailed knowledge of what to do and say and of
how TO do il and say it, and completely self
effacing zeal TO carry the knowledge into pract-
ice. When the Holy Ghost came upon them, their
needs were supplied For This was the Paraclete
promised by Our Lord, who was to show them
all truth, and TO bring TO their minds all that
Christ had ever said TO them. And This was the
Strengthener tfor Spch is the true meaning of
"Comforter') who was to "endue them with
power from on high" and 10 supply them with
zeal and fortitude for their mission and their
martyrdom
In receiving the sacrament of Confirmation,
We are not amazed as the postles and disciples
were, by an outer manifestation of the coming
OF the Holy Ghost the great Wind that filled the
whole house where they we're assembled and
the tongues of fire that rested on every one of
them Nor are we miracuousy iumned by
full and splendid knowledge of the truths of
Faith; nor are we lowered with "the Gift OF ton
gueS' and the unflinching ardo or of Christian
martyrs But we receive, as truly as the Apostles
and disciples did, the Seven Gifts of the Holy
Ghost with the ability to show forth in our
daily lives thereafter the Twelve Fruits of the
Holy Spirit.
The Apostles were changed by the Coming of
the Holy Ghost into fearless champions of the
cause OF Christ which is the saving of human
souls through the knowledge and practice of
ChristS one religion We are changed at Con-
hrmation, changed from weak and timid children
into mature soldiers of Jesus Christ We are TO
carry forward the battle of Our Lord which is
not "a warning against flesh and blood" but
against sin and the spirit of sin. in ourselves
first and then in all the 7orld about us
The thing to remember always is that we
are as thoroughly equipped for our vocation by
the sacrament of Confirmation as the Apostles
and disciples were equipped for their mission
by the Descent of the Holy Ghost on Pentecost
Day, If there be any faltering or failure there
after in the prosecution of our spiritual life the
fault must lie with ourselves, not with the
Omnipotent Spirit who has suffused US and
lowered us with His mighty Gifts.
For the Apostles, despite fears and weak
neSseS, were disposed to receive the Holy Ghost
They were ready TO cooperate with Him The
wonders OF Pentecost were not merely things
that happened to the appointed persons upon
whom the Spirit of God descended: these Won
ders were possible, and were made actual, be
cause the human persons concerned were ohed-
ent to Christ and eager to do His will II was
not easy for the Apostles and disciples to stay
in Jerusalem for those ten days after the Ascen-
sion; humanity speaking any other place would
have been safer for them, they could not have
liked that long wait in the midst of their deadl,
foes. But they we're not concerned with their
own likes and dislikes; they were concerned only
to do what the Lord had ordered And so came
the Glory and the Triumph of Pentecost
One wonders how many OF the apparent fail
urrs in Catholic life come fundamentally from
following likes and dislikes. Failures do no
come from the Holy Ghost