Pentecost: Fire of Your Love

Our world is on fire,

the planet is burning up,

COVID-19 continues to smoulder,

destruction of Mother Earth is at a boiling point.

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the fire of your love.

Humanity is at a breaking point

race relations are fraying into shreds,

the dignity of the other is decaying,

universal fraternity is crumbling a part.

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the strength of your love.

The church is hurting,

the gospel being tarnished for dollars,

abuses squashing the truth,

voices not being heard.

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the freedom of your love.

People are being forgotten,

the elderly are being neglected,

those in poverty left as the unwanted,

refugees once again abandoned.

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the embrace of your love.

We must rise up,

our voices matter,

hearts speak truth,

anger only destroys.

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the honesty of your love.

These past weeks of isolation,

truths about self exposed,

wounds to big to face,

we turn away from our needed healing. 

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the courage of your love.

Time has been on our side,

Lessons learned again,

new truths take root,

a restart which cannot be wasted.

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the truth of your love.

Life still abounds,

Hope does prevail,

Faith helps us see beyond,

Love is closer than we realize.

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the gift of your love.

New life announces itself again,

the wind of change blows,

at our core the flame is fanned,

we are the heralds of good news.

And so, we cry out: Come Holy Spirit with the fire of your love.

Pentecost is not just a day, it is not just a movement, it is continually awakening us to true life. The gift of the Spirit of Jesus is embodied in each of us. Jesus breathe don them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20). No matter who we are, the Spirit breathes through our every breath. As we face the struggles and what may seem like despair in the reality of our 2020 world, may the prayer “Come Holy Spirit” remind us that God is indeed with us. Yes, even in all of this, God is with us at the edges to catch us, meet us, offers us deep peace (the greeting of Jesus after his resurrection is “Peace be with you”(John 20)) and breathe life into us. The fire of God’s love settles into our bones and permeates our living, even here at the edges. Jesus said: “I am with you always” (Matthew 28) he also said, “I will make it known, that the love with which God has loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17).  
Yes, each breath we take God-Jesus-Holy Spirit is that close.

Come Holy Spirit

kindle in us the

fire and life of your love, 

so that we may be one

with you in the divine gift

of Love.

Amen.

Pentecost is the Feast Day for the Holy Spirit Province - Franciscans of Canada. We humbly ask for your prayers as we continue to be open to the Holy Spirit guiding us and our ministries.