JCM: The Gateway to Life in the Spirit

Sunday, June 8, 2014

The Gateway to Life in the Spirit

On June 7, 2014, the Catholic Charismatic Communities commemorate the Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church as one one holy apostolic Catholic Church, a 7-hour event filled with the Holy Spirit.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle in his homily during the Concelebrated Mass points out that:

Pentecost is sending of the Holy Spirit which is the summit of a Catholic faith: the Passion of the Cross, the Resurrection, and the Ascension - which exist so that the Holy Spirit be with the entire humanity.

Know Jesus who rose again with hands nailed and thrust on the side.

In the Old Testament, appearance of the Holy Spirit is associated with a wind. On the other hand, the Gospel conveys how the disciples were breathed by Jesus, which empowered them with life, transformation and zeal. By breath which is symbolic in nature, God took clay in His hands which He turns into life after He breathes on it.

Likewise, it brings us life and transcendence when the Holy Spirit breathes on us.

Accepting the Holy Spirit is receiving a renewed life.

The presence of the number of prayer meetings would be useless without a renewed heart.

Pentecost is ascending of tongues of fire.

The coming of the Holy Spirit is the presence of new energy and new being. Tongue of fire is tongue of love.

Empathy and harmony is the language of the Holy Spirit.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during the anticipated
Mass at the Ninoy Aquino stadium

The Cardinal also relates an experiential encounter with the Holy Spirit when he said a Mass in Papua New Guinea. The seminarian who participated during his Liturgy with the village people returned to him to personally thank him out of wonder because his parents who happened to be present in the mass affirmed what the Cardinal had said in his homily, which is surprising because his parents neither know English nor finish education. What happened was a clear manifestation of the Holy Spirit that is alive, he narrated.

St. Paul says, "Let us drink of one spirit". Do not boast as if you’re drinking different Holy Spirit.

Therefore receive the breath of the Holy Spirit, the tongues of fire and drink water on the same source to live prosperously.

Dr. Luz Espiritu opens the celebration with an Invocation after the Holy Rosary.

Bro. Cadio Tamayo talks on the Pentecost theme. In a nutshell, he mentions that an empowered laity is endowed with power:

Acts 2:1-4 When 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.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

With one of the community shepherds,Sis. Nihra Mayol-Owe

Bro. Jonas Galit and the rest of the members

Why does the Holy Spirit occupy no power in us? This is because we lack expression of power and enthusiasm.

Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto, 26,62:PG 32,184 - The Spirit is truly the dwelling of the saints and the saints are for the Spirit a place where he dwells as in his own home since they offer themselves as a dwelling place for God and are called his temple.[1]

1 Corinthian 1:1 to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:7 to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

We are sent forth as heroes for the love of God and others and to do right and good.

True heroes are the victims of Yolanda who persevere in hope and in prayers despite the ordeal.

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz - "I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for the Lord; If I had a thousand lives, all these I shall offer.

Fr. Eric Santos in the parade of banners, introduces the different Charismatic communities which include Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Alliance of Parochial Charismatic Community (APCC), Federation of Transparochial Charismatic Community (FTCC), Mary Mother of God, Light of Youth Community, Domus Nazareth Renewal Community, San Guillermo Catholic Charismatic Community, Office Prayer Community (OPC), Children of Light, New Covenant Prayer Community, Pax Charismatic Community, St. Anne Catholic Charismatic Community (SACCREM), Mamamalakaya, All Hail Emmanuel, Rivers of Living Water, Servants of the Good Shepherd, Diocese of Pasig, San Exequel Moreno Parish Charismatic Community, The Lord’s Flock, Buklod ng Pag-ibig, San Felipe Neri Parish Charismatic Community, Sta. Clara Catholic Charismatic Community, St. Peter Catholic Charismatic Community, to name a few.

Friends of the Divine Mercy headed by Bro. Rene Tumang shows its gallantry of an empowered laity as it waves its banners, with the largest number of chapters so far among the participant: Pasay, Makati, Pasig, Pasay, Caloocan, Malabon, Cebu, Vietnam, Abudhabi (soon in Mindanao and South Luzon)

In a Spirit-filled praise & worship which almost trembles the
whole arena

Tongues of fire quivers the whole arena as the congregation shouts in praise and worship.

Fr. Jerry after his “Atras-abante” (flicker-flutter) joyful song which re-charges the crowd with new energy also shares:

Share your time – you are here because you want to contribute your time by praising and worshipping and thanking Him.

Share your talent – from the beginning you have witnessed a showcase of different performances which cued richness of talent.

Share Treasure – the more you give, the more you receive.

Spectacular performances from different communities reveal God-given talents, from cultural presentation which interprets the color and odor of the country in a societal, filial, religious and traditional approach, up to song and dance in different genre participated by the kids, and young and adults.

Dr. Marie Rosario likewise shares:

A holy person is with a strong will and dignity.

An empowered laity knows to be human not only while inside their respective communities but outside of it and within their individual homes.

In the light of a catholic belief, the catechism of the Catholic church recounts that on the day of Pentecost when the seven weeks of Easter had come to an end, Christ's Passover is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, manifested, given, and communicated as a divine person: of his fullness, Christ, the Lord, pours out the Spirit in abundance - Byzantine liturgy, Pentecost Vespers, Troparion, repeated after communion

On that day, the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. Since that day, the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to those who believe in Him: in the humility of the flesh and in faith, they already share in the communion of the Holy Trinity. By his coming, which never ceases, the Holy Spirit causes the world to enter into the "last days," the time of the Church, the Kingdom already inherited though not yet consummated.

Single FRIENDS led by Bro. Marlon Owe with
Bro. Michael Galangue and the other members

We have seen the true Light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we have found the true faith: we adore the indivisible Trinity, who has saved us.[2]

"When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that He might continually sanctify the Church." Then "the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through preaching, was begun." As the "convocation" of all men for salvation, the Church in her very nature is missionary, sent by Christ to all the nations to make disciples of them.[3] The Church was made manifest to the world on the day of Pentecost by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit ushers in a new era in the "dispensation of the mystery" the age of the Church, during which Christ manifests, makes present, and communicates His work of salvation through the liturgy of his Church, "until He comes." In this age of the Church Christ now lives and acts in and with His Church, in a new way appropriate to this new age. He acts through the sacraments in what the common Tradition of the East and the West calls "the sacramental economy"; this is the communication (or "dispensation") of the fruits of Christ's Paschal mystery in the celebration of the Church's "sacramental" liturgy.

It is therefore important first to explain this "sacramental dispensation". The nature and essential features of liturgical celebration will then appear more clearly (1 Corinthian 11:26)[4]

While water signifies birth and the fruitfulness of life given in the Holy Spirit, fire symbolizes the transforming energy of the Holy Spirit's actions. The prayer of the prophet Elijah, who "arose like fire" and whose "word burned like a torch," brought down fire from heaven on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. This event was a "figure" of the fire of the Holy Spirit, who transforms what He touches. John the Baptist, who goes "before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah," proclaims Christ as the one who "will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Jesus will say of the Spirit: "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!" In the form of tongues "as of fire," the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself. The spiritual tradition has retained this symbolism of fire as one of the most expressive images of the Holy Spirit's actions. "Do not quench the Spirit" (Sirach 48:1; 1 Kings 18:38-39; Luke 1:17; 3:16; Luke 12:49; Acts 2:3-4; Thessalonians 5:1)[5].

The whole congregation while joining the joyful presentation
of a choral group

This fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah's, but was to be communicated to the whole messianic people. On several occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit, a promise which He fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then more strikingly at Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit the apostles began to proclaim "the mighty works of God," and Peter declared this outpouring of the Spirit to be the sign of the messianic age. Those who believed in the apostolic preaching and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit in their turn (Ezekiel 36:25-27; Joel 3:1-2; Luke 12:12; John 3:5-8; 7:37-39; 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; John 20:22; Acts 2:1-14; Acts 2:11; Cf. 2:17-18; Acts 2:38.[6]

On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of the Promise was poured out on the disciples, gathered "together in one place." While awaiting the Spirit, "all these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer."The Spirit who teaches the Church and recalls for her everything that Jesus said was also to form her in the life of prayer (Acts 2:1; Acts 1:14; John 14:26).[7]

The Spirit is truly the dwelling of the saints and the saints are for the Spirit a place where He dwells as in His own home since they offer themselves as a dwelling place for God and are called his temple. - St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto, 26,62:PG 32,184.[8]

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."[9]