By Leela Ramdeen, Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice
“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.”
“Renewal” requires reconciliation – a word that is embedded in our Archdiocesan Mission Statement. In the midst of all the crime and violence in T&T and in the world, there is a yearning for peace, but there can be no peace without reconciliation and justice.
Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost; the day when we recall how, on the evening of His Resurrection, Jesus appeared in the locked upper room in Jerusalem where the disciples were gathered with Mary. He said to them, inter alia: “Peace be with you…he breathed on the disciples and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’.”
We are baptised and confirmed in the Holy Spirit. Let us ask God to pour out His Spirit in all of us, so that, as Pope John Paul II said in 1982, “in that Spirit we shall indeed become the People of Pentecost, the apostles of our time.” Remember the prayer of St Augustine:
“Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.”
Tomorrow the nation will go to the polls to elect a new Government. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, to fill us with wisdom – the first gift of the Spirit – so that we will choose our politicians prudently. We receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit for a purpose, to bear fruit; to become the living stones; to be the Body of Christ in the World. Remember the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit?
The gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (Catechism, 1831).
The fruits of the Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity. (Catechism,1832).
There is no doubt that if we Catholics become who we are, the Holy Spirit will influence our lives and help us to resist the temptations of the world e.g. drugs, alcohol, pornography, the gun culture and so on. Paul’s words to Timothy are worth remembering: “I wish to remind you, Timothy, to fan into flame the gifts in you, which you received on the day I laid my hands on you” (2 Tim 1:6).
Let us commit ourselves today to fan into flames the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given to us so that we can use this transforming power to build His Kingdom in T&T. Let us fan the gifts into flames as we strive to live holy, virtuous lives so that we can be prophetic witnesses of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will give us the strength to be a leaven in society. We will become “the light of the world, the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13-14).
Pray with me: Merciful Father, you have led us, your children in T&T, through the darkness of slavery, indentureship, colonialism and sin into the light to let our light shine before men and women; to be the instruments of your love and peace; to build the civilisation of love; to combat the corrosive effects of secularism, individualism, relativism, materialism, selfishness and greed. Help us to walk in the light of your truth and justice.
Lord, we consecrate the 2010 General Election and all citizens into your loving care.
Lord, thank you for your gift of peace. Watch over us so that we may have peaceful elections. Give us politicians and leaders who will govern with love and integrity; who will generate trust and respect; who will fulfil their moral obligations to society; and who will respect diversity, promote unity, harmony and participatory governance.
As for us, Lord, help us all to be faithful, responsible citizens. Send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us for service. We pray that regardless of which political party we support, we will find ways to build bridges after the election and work together for the common good of our great nation. Amen.
