Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
How manifold are your works, O Lord!
MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH,
SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,
PRAY FOR US.
HEART OF JESUS, FORMED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
IN THE WOMB OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
HAVE MERCY ON US.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.
(The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed)
Welcome to Pentecost Sunday, dear faithful readers, in the month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and entrance into the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, but not without first celebrating The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. And we can't forget to pray for the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, and ask his predecessor in name, Pope Leo XIII, to intercede for him, especially since the latter approved the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for public use in 1899. What is your favorite invocation in the Litany? One of mine is, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us. And it occurs to me that Pope Leo XIV has a heart full of goodness and love too. On the other hand, how could he not. He is North American by birth, born and raised east of the Mississippi River, in Chicago, Illinois, "The Prairie State." Who would have thought? Not I.
Why is it that the Holy Spirit is often the neglected Person of the Holy Trinity? Maybe we just can't wrap our minds around the Holy Spirit. We pray to the Father ... ok. We pray to the Son ... ok. Holy Spirit ... uhhh. On the other hand, we are talking about a mystery of our faith here. And we are talking about love as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us: The Holy Spirit is "the Third divine Person of the Blessed Trinity, the personal love of Father and Son for each other. Also called the Paraclete (Advocate) and Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit is at work with the Father and the Son from the beginning to the completion of the divine plan for salvation" (Glossary). Does that whet your appetite to learn more, or perhaps renew yourself in mind and heart? Pray to the Holy Spirit to help you, then turn to the Catechism, our pearl of great price, and check out Paragraphs 683-747. ☺ And we can always look to Mary to help us understand and grow in faith of the mystery, as Pope Benedict XVI said during his Angelus Address on Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2009:
The Virgin Mary, in her docile humility, became the handmaid of divine love; she accepted the Father's will and conceived the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. In her the Almighty built a temple worthy of Him and made her the model and image of the Church, mystery and house of communion for all human beings. May Mary, mirror of the Blessed Trinity help us to grow in faith of the Trinitarian mystery.
And now a voice or two, from here and there. If you would be so kind, the next time you pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, like on Pentecost Sunday and every Sunday and Wednesday, and commence the third mystery, Descent of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Mystery being Spiritual Gifts, please join me and ask Our Lord to breathe on us and send forth His spirit to renew the face of the earth. Veni Sancti Spiritus ... Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home, Shed a ray of light divine!
O Spirit of truth, make me know your Word; teach me to remember all He has said; enlighten me, guide me, make me conformable to Jesus as an alter Christus, another Christ, by giving me His virtues, especially His patience, humility, and obedience; let me take part in His redemptive work by making me understand the love the cross.
(Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit, OCD, 1910-1949)
O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.
(Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430)
When the Spirit has been sent, the face of the earth is created and renewed: this means that our earthly will becomes heavenly, ready at a nod to obey more quickly than a nod. Blessed are the people like this, for not only do they perceive no evil, but they abide in a certain marvelous expansion of heart.
(Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153)
The first gift of love is love itself, and all the other gifts emanate from this supreme gift, as from their source. Therefore, the Gift of the love of God is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not give himself to us without pouring charity into our hearts.
(Servant of God Luis Maria Martinez, 1881-1956)
Come, Holy Spirit, come, O God, love;
fill my heart, which, alas, is empty of all that is good.
Set me on fire to love you.
Enlighten me to recognize you.
Draw me [to you] to delight in you.
Affect me [to receive] thorough fruition of you.
(Saint Gertrude the Great of Helfta, 1256-1301/2)
Let us love our neighbors, my friends, let us love the one who is near us, so that we may be able to reach the love of the one who is above us. Then we shall reach the happiness of the heavenly multitude, the happiness of which we have received an assurance of the Holy Spirit. Let us move forward toward that goal where we shall be happy without end with all our love.
(Pope Saint Gregory the Great, 540-604)
The first task of Christians is to keep alive the flame that Jesus brought to the earth, which is the love of God: the Holy Spirit. Without the fire of the Spirit, prophesies are extinguished, sorrow supplants joy, and routine substitutes love.
(Pope Francis, 1936-2025)
Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit and raises man to Heaven.
(Saint Ephrem the Syrian, 306-373)
O Lord,
give us a mind that is humble, quiet, peaceable,
Patient and charitable, And a taste of your Holy Spirit
In all our thoughts, words, and deeds.
(From a prayer by Saint Thomas More, 1478-1535)
It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the audacity to believe that God loves us,
and the power to love Him back.
(Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153)
The Holy Spirit must teach us to carry out in action the good that is inspired,
or grace in us shall remain void.
(Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153)
And lastly, prayer for all times ...
Pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
(See Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1831)
So as to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit:
Charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.
(See Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1832)
SAINT JAMES BERTHIEU,
SAINT WILLIAM OF YORK,
SAINT EPHRAEM THE DEACON, "HARP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,"
SAINT COLUMBA,
BLESSED EDWARD POPPE,
SAINT JOSE DE ANCHIETA,
SAINT BARNABAS THE APOSTLE,
SAINT ONUPHRIUS,
BLESSED ALPHONSUS MAZUREK AND COMPANIONS,
BLESSED HILARY JANUSZEWSKI,
SAINT ANTONY OF PADUA,
SAINT DAVNET,
SAINT ELISHA,
BLESSED MARIA CANDIDA OF THE EUCHARIST,
SAINT LIDWINA,
SAINT METHODIUS,
PRAY FOR US.
Today's photo: I call these beauties "tongues of fire." Tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest upon us, united as we are in faith and prayer. I will be glad in the Lord.
© Gertrude Feick 2025
Thank you, Sr Gertrude, for this wealth of inspiration.
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