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

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.

Why sexual temptations are so addictive?

One cause for the extreme difficulty in erasing pornographic images from the mind and breaking illegal relationships is that when a man views pornography or talk, meet with a person in immoral relationship, a chemical called epinephrine is released in the brain. This release of epinephrine causes deep imprint of the visual image, sound of words or persons to be stored within the brain. Such images can plague a man for decades.

Rest assured, there is a way out of pornography addiction and illegal relationships – but don’t fall for the promise of an easy way out. Moreover this chemical presses a person into addiction. If that person is morally good, then the mind will tell, but the body will not obey.

The beginning of a spiritual attack

Sexual addictions and pornography open a person up to the influence of evil spirits. Before a spiritual attack begins you may be struggling with your own lustful thoughts. A spiritual attack begins when a spirit silently intrudes into your mind, adding intensity to your lustful thoughts, or implanting additional ones. You can detect this happening when an ordinary human lust arises and then suddenly erupts into a life of its own, one that seems nearly impossible to get rid of.

We should remember that our succumbing to temptations reveal our weakness. The devil makes use of our weakness and sinful dispositions, not that we have nothing to do with our failure. We fail where we are weak and supposed to be strong. Realize and correct ourselves each time when we fall.

How to fight a spiritual attack

If an episode of overwhelming lustful thoughts involves a spiritual attack, you will not be able to shake it with just mental effort alone. This is the case also with illegal relationships. Many know that it is unfit and not allowed. Many more know that such relationships never ends up in a married life. But they are never able to get out.

We should know here that the Devil has taken his chance. It is very easy to get discouraged and feel completely overwhelmed by both lust and the accompanying spiritual assault. Yet you can quickly break the power of the attack by first realizing what is happening, and then by saying a prayer for spiritual protection to your guardian angel and St. Michael the Archangel.

One of the hardest parts in fending off a spiritual attack is learning to recognize when one is happening. Spiritual attacks are covert operations that need to disguise themselves to be successful. Ask God to give you continual discernment. After a spiritual attack is stopped, your mental disciplines will still be needed to control your thoughts.

Lead a sacramental life

Also, use sacramentals such as holy water, crucifixes, St. Benedict medals etc. These can be very effective in overcoming or preventing spiritual attacks.

The sacraments, especially the Eucharist, are like rivers of living water that bring fresh strength to your soul. Take advantage of every opportunity to receive grace by frequenting the sacraments. The sacrament of penance is the one thing that can break the power of pornography in your life and turn the tide in your battle against pornography.

Never allow shame or setbacks to keep you from this sacrament. If you are guilty of serious sin, a good confession is the necessary first step to prepare you for receiving further graces in the Eucharist.

Take care of your physical condition too

Your spiritual defenses are weakened when you allow yourself to become run down from too little sleep, or too much work and stress. If you are fatigued, then take extra precautions against temptations until you restore your physical condition. Alcohol or the use of drugs will dull your conscience and diminish your ability to make good judgments.

Condemnation and Conviction

Don’t give up after a setback. An overwhelming wave of guilt and discouragement can follow in the wake of a setback. If you do fall into a sinful setback, you need to be prepared for an onslaught of condemnation. The Bible calls Satan ‘the accuser’. After a setback Satan will be ready to bombard you with doubts of God’s love for you.

You need to carefully discern between condemnation and conviction. Condemnation from ‘the accuser’ has the effect of driving you away from God. Conviction from the Holy Spirit drives you towards God to find forgiveness and restoration. If you fall, you should certainly not give up the fight. Get to the Sacrament of penance and ask God for forgiveness. It will always be there for you.

- – - written by Stephen