Come Holy Spirit come! Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew; wash the stains of guilt away
Bend the stubborn hearts and will; melt the frozen, warm the chill
Guide the steps that go astray…give them joys that never end.
Amen.   —  (From the Sequence of Mass on Pentecost Sunday)

Today we celebrate the birthday of the Catholic Church. In other words, we celebrate the inauguration of the Universal Church. When Jesus rose from the dead, the first gift he gave to the Church was the Holy Spirit. He said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them” (Jn 20:22-23).

Jesus’ first gift to the Church

Before his Ascension, Jesus makes a promise to his disciples. He says to them, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

On Pentecost day the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, and as the Bible attests, “They were devout men (and women) even in Jerusalem from every nation on the earth … and each one was bewildered to hear these men (the apostles) speaking his own language.” (Acts 2:6) They questioned: How does it happen that each of us hears them (the apostles) in his own native language? (Acts.2:8). What is the implication of this message? How does it affect us today?

What happened on Pentecost day was a miracle. The miracle was that God spoke to people of different nationalities in their own native tongues through the Apostles who were uneducated men. It was a reverse of the division that was experienced at the Tower of Babel (cf Gn 11:1-9). Praise God! The human race is once again united after many centuries of division and confusion. Through the Holy Spirit the divided world, marked by misunderstanding, conflicts, and confusion is now united.

We need inculturation

Today there is a serious attempt, by some schools of thought, to teach the whole world the same verbal language in order to unite them. That, however, seems to be an expensive joke. What we need today is “inculturation.” That is, to allow the gospel message to be born in every culture.

Today we are challenged to break down the barriers of division and sectarianism. We are challenged to bring the Gospel to every race and culture and help them understand the marvels of God in their own native languages. We are challenged to help people connect with God in their own concrete historical conditions. We do not need to learn any foreign language in order to communicate with God, our loving Father. If the Church is defined as “the people of God,” then the language of the Church must be the language of God’s people in every part of the world.

The language of Love

What we really need in today’s Church is the language of love. It is non-verbal and does not require an interpreter. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be able to speak the nonverbal language of love which cannot be taught by any human technique. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be able to understand each other in family, in the church, and in society.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, the Church will have the courage to carry out the universal mission entrusted to her by Jesus. She will be comforted, directed, and strengthened especially at difficult times. At confirmation each one of us received the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is meant to give us the courage to witness the Faith at all times, even in the face of death.

May the Holy Spirit, which came on Pentecost day, come upon each and every one of us and renew the face of the entire earth. Rejoice Always!

- – - written by Fr. Clem Oyafemi

To omit hearing Mass merely from carelessness or indolence would be proof that we were either ignorant of, or indifferent to, the divine treasures it contains. God grant that those who read this may in future appreciate more fully this pearl of great price, value it more highly, seek it more diligently.

77 Fruits of Holy Mass

1. For your salvation God the Father sends his beloved Son down from heaven.
2. For your salvation the Holy Spirit changes bread and wine into the true Body and Blood of Christ.
3. For your sake the Son of God comes down from heaven and conceals Himself under the form of the sacred host.
4. He even abases Himself to such an extent as to be present in the minutest particle of the Sacred Host.
5. For your salvation He renews the saving mystery of the Incarnation.
6. For your salvation He is born anew into the world in a mystic manner whenever Holy Mass is celebrated.
7. For your salvation he performs on the altar the same act of worship He performed when on earth.
8. For your salvation He renews His bitter passion in order that you may participate in it.
9. For your salvation He mystically renews His death, and sacrifices for You His precious life.
10. For your salvation He sheds His blood in a mystic manner, and offers it up for you to the Divine Majesty.

11. With this Precious Blood He sprinkles your soul and purifies it from every stain.
12. For you, Christ offers Himself as a true burnt-offering, and renders to the Godhead the supreme honor which it is due.
13. By offering this act of worship to God, you make reparation for the glory which you has failed to give Him.
14. For you Christ offers Himself to God as a sacrifice of praise, thus atoning for your omissions in praising His Holy Name.
15. By offering to God this oblation which Christ offers, you give Him greater praise than do the Holy Angels.
16. For you, Christ offers Himself as a perfect sacrifice of thanksgiving, making compensation for all failures on your part to render thanks.
17. By offering to God Christ’s act of thanksgiving, you do make ample acknowledgment of all the benefits He had bestowed on you.
18. For you, Christ offers Himself as the all-powerful victim, reconciling you to the God Whom you has offended.
19. He pardons you for all your venial sins, provided you are firmly resolved to forsake them.
20. He also makes repartition for many of your sins of omission, when you did leave undone the good you might have done.

21. He removes many of the imperfections attaching to your good deeds.
22. He forgives you the sins, unknown or forgotten, which you has never mentioned in confession.
23. He offers Himself as a victim to make satisfaction for a part at least of your debts and transgressions.
24. Each time you hear Mass you can do more to pay the penalty due to your sins than by the severest work of penance.
25. Christ places to your credit a portion of His merits, which you may offer to God the Father in expiation of your offenses.
26. For you Christ offers Himself as the most efficacious peace-offering, interceding for you as earnestly as He interceded for His enemies on the cross.
27. His Precious Blood pleads for you in words as countless as the drops which issued from His sacred veins.
28. Each of the adorable wounds His sacred body bore is a voice calling aloud for mercy for you.
29. For the sake of this propitiatory victim, the petitions proffered during Mass will be granted far sooner than those that are proffered at other times.
30. Never can you pray so well as whilst present at Mass.

31. This is so because Christ unites His prayers to yours, and offers them to His heavenly Father.
32. He acquaints Him with your needs and dangers to which you are exposed, and makes your eternal salvation His particular concern.
33. The angels also, who are present, plead for you, and present your poor prayers before the throne of God.
34. On your behalf the priest says Mass, by virtue of which the evil enemy will not be suffered to approach you.
35. For you and for your everlasting salvation he says Mass, and offers that holy sacrifice to God Almighty.
36. When you hear Mass, you are yourself in spirit a priest, empowered by Christ to offer the Mass both for yourself and others.
37. By offering this Holy Sacrifice, you do present to the Blessed Trinity the most acceptable of all oblations.
38. You do offer an oblation precious indeed, of greater value than all things in heaven and earth.
39. You do offer an oblation precious indeed, for it is none other than God himself.
40. By this sacrifice you does honor God as He alone is worthy to be honored.

41. By this sacrifice you do give infinite satisfaction to the Most Holy Trinity.
42. You may present this glorious oblation as your own gift, for Christ Himself gave it unto you.
43. When you hear Mass aright, you do perform an act of highest worship.
44. By hearing Mass you do pay the most profound reverence, the most loyal homage, to the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord.
45. It is best means whereby to venerate the Passion of Christ, and obtain a share in its fruits.
46. It is also the best means of venerating the blessed Mother of God, and increasing her joy.
47. By hearing Mass, you can also enrich your soul more than aught else in the world.
48. By hearing Mass devoutly, you can give greater honor to the angels and the saints than by reciting many prayers.
49. For this in act you do perform a good work of the highest value.
50. It is a signal exercise of pure faith, which will receive a great reward.

51. When you do bow down before the Sacred Host and the Sacred Chalice, you do perform a supreme act of adoration.
52. For each time you gaze reverently upon the Sacred Host you will receive a recompense in heaven.
53. Each time you do smite your chest with compunction, some of your sins are remitted to you.
54. If you hear Mass in a state of mortal sin, God offers you grace of conversion.
55. If you hear Mass in a state of grace, God gives augmentation of grace.
56. In Holy Mass you spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink His blood.
57. You are privileged to behold with your eyes Christ hidden under the sacramental veil, and to be beheld by Him.
58. You receive the priest’s benediction, which is confirmed by Christ in heaven.
59. Through your diligence in hearing Mass, you will also obtain corporal and temporal blessings.
60. Furthermore, you will be preserved from many misfortunes that would otherwise have vanquished you.

61. You will also be strengthened against temptations which would have otherwise have vanquished you.
62. Holy Mass will also be to you a means of obtaining grace of a holy death.
63. The love you has shown for Holy Mass will secure for you the special succor of angels and saints in your last moments.
64. The remembrance of the Masses heard in your lifetime will be a sweet solace to you in the hour of death, and inspire you with confidence in the divine mercy.
65. They will not be forgotten when you stand before the strict Judge and will incline Him to show you favor.
66. You need not fear a long and terrible Purgatory if you has already to a great extent atoned for your sins by frequently assisting at Holy Mass.
67. One Mass devoutly heard will do more to mitigate the pains of Purgatory than any act of penance, however difficult of performance.
68. One Mass in your lifetime will be of greater service to you than many said for you after death.
69. You will attain a high place in heaven, which will be yours to all eternity.
70. Your felicity in heaven will, moreover be increased by every Mass you hear on earth.

71. No prayers offered for your friends will be as efficacious as a single Mass heard and offered on their behalf.
72. You can amply recompense all your benefactors by hearing Mass for their intention.
73. The best help, the greatest consolation, you can afford the afflicted, the sick, the dying is to hear Mass for them.
74. By this same means you can even obtain for sinners the grace of conversion.
75. You can also earn for all faithful Christians saving and salutary graces.
76. For the suffering souls in Purgatory you can procure abundant refreshment.
77. And if it is not within your power to have Mass said for your departed friends, you can by devout assistance at the Holy Sacrifice release them from the tormenting flames.

What do you now think of the Holy Mass, O Christian? Can it be supposed that in the whole world there is any other good work whereby so many graces and fruits are placed within our reach? It is no longer possible to question the truth of the words of Father Sanchez: If Christians only knew how to profit by Holy Mass, they might acquire greater riches than are to be found in all things God has created.

We have indeed a precious storehouse in the Mass: happy he who can earn treasures so great at the cost of so little labor! Who would willingly miss Mass? Who would not delight in hearing it? Let us resolve never to lose an opportunity of hearing Mass, provided the duties of our state of life do not prevent us from doing so.

- – – written by Father Martin von Cochem (1625-1712)

These are ten golden rules to live an authentic Christian life.

1. I will live the present moment to the fullest.
2. I will discern between God and God’s works.
3. I will hold firmly to one secret: prayer.
4. I will see in the Holy Eucharist my only power.
5. I will have only one wisdom: the science of the Cross.
6. I will remain faithful to my mission in the Church and for the Church as a witness of Jesus Christ.
7. I will seek the peace the world cannot give.
8. I will carry out a revolution by renewal in the Holy Spirit.
9. I will speak one language and wear one uniform: Charity.
10. I will have one very special love: The Blessed Virgin Mary.