PENTECOST – A TIME TO “FAN
INTO FLAME THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.”
May 27th 2012
By Sr. Brenda Walsh,
Racine Dominican
The Feast of Pentecost invites us
to reflect deeply on the role of the Gifts of the Spirit in our
lives today and to look at the ways we respond to them. In Paul’s
second letter to Timothy, he was very much aware that his time in
the active ministry was running out and needed to select a person to
continue the mission long after he was gone. He chose Timothy as a
credible witness to the Gospel and urged him to “fan into flame the
gifts God had given him” and to continue the work of sharing the
Good News with all people. Paul knew this mission would require
courage and reliance on the Grace of God, as well as a willingness
to suffer, because when one speaks the truth of the Gospel, it will
call the disciple to suffer for the Gospel. Timothy kept on feeding
the flame of God’s gifts and spoke openly of Christ, and he was
ready to suffer for the sake of Gospel. He was aflame with God’s
love and always relied on the promises of Jesus which he knew would
never fail him.
That same message is given to
each of us. We are invited to replace fear with courage and hope and
not limit ourselves to a safe, comfortable and secure ministry
without too many challenges. We have the example of the early
disciples of Jesus who allowed the Spirit to become active and lead
the way in their lives. We too need to explore and pray for the
courage to do our part and be open to the call and to follow
faithfully. “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and
enkindle in them the fire of Divine Love.” When Jesus announced His
Mission, he said: “The Spirit of the Lord has been given to
me, for I have been anointed and sent to bring good news to the
poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind, new sight,
to set the downtrodden free and to proclaim the Lord’s year of
favor.” The Spirit that God gives us is not one of power, but of
love and self-control, and a readiness to follow our call and share
in the suffering of Christ for the sake of the Gospel. No gift of
ours is too small to fan into flame and can be used to share the
Good News in our world.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS WE
CAN “FAN INTO FLAME” THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN US?
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We need to open
our minds and hearts and spirits and call on the
guidance of the Spirit in discerning the gifts and
fruits of the Spirit that are always available to
us. To accomplish this, we reflect on the Word of
God on a regular basis and be open to the
enlightening and transforming power of the Spirit in
our lives. When we name our gifts, we look around us
and within us and see where these gifts could be
used most effectively. Love, mercy, forgiveness,
compassion and justice are just a few of the gifts
we are offered. God’s gifts to us are never for
ourselves alone but for the welfare of others,
especially the poor, the dispossessed, the grieving,
and those suffering in so many ways. We can bring
them comfort, and counsel and care, especially for
those most in need. Then we will be true witnesses
to God’s love, and promote justice and peace.
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If we fail to use
our gifts they will fall into disuse. If we overuse
them and fail to take time to reflect, pray, and
relax, without reliance on God’s gifts, we will
suffer from burnout. We need to have balance in our
daily lives.
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How do we keep
the flame burning over the long haul?
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Without doubt, we
will meet many challenges along the way. Then we
call on the grace of the Spirit to sustain the fire
and help us be unashamed and courageous in the
sharing the Word of God. We practice in our own
lives what we have been teaching and preaching –
love, forgiveness, peace, justice and hope. The same
power that transformed the early disciples is
available to us at all times.
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Words of
encouragement for each other will be very helpful
and support us in keeping the flame burning
brightly. Listening intently to the people we serve
will enable us to use the best gifts to meet their
needs.
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Every day, we
give thanks for the gifts God has given us to share
with a broken and bleeding world. I am thinking
particularly of one that Jesus offered his first
followers, the gift of Peace. He said to them:
“Peace be with you!” That same gift is offered to
each one of us. If each person used this gift, what
a different world we would have! How different also
would our church be? We would not be reading in the
daily paper, stories of war, violence and conflict,
of murder, abuse and neglect. We would hear more
stories about people working for the common good,
racial harmony, cooperation among groups and
nations, money diverted from wars to meet basic
human needs, and mo. We would envision a new and
creative life-giving future for all.
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Let us continue to “fan into the
flame” the many gifts God has given each of us individually and as a
community, and to use them to create the kind of world God has in
mind for all people. as we continue to walk this journey with
courage, conviction and hope. Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Blessings on your preaching.
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