Ruminations of an Irascible Hermit.: Pentecost - the gift of the living fire of Charity

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Pentecost - the gift of the living fire of Charity

As we prepare to celebrate the wonderful and curious Solemnity of Pentecost, the Church gives us this beautiful hymn to pray, the “Veni Creator”. This is the same famous hymn that is sung before Papal Elections and also at Ordinations, it is useful to meditate on the imagery provided in the hymn.

Fire is one of the primordial symbols of God in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:2-3, Exodus 15:7, Exodus 24:7, Deuteronomy 4:24, Deuteronomy 9:3, 2 Samuel 22:9, Psalm 97:3, Isaiah 33:14, Isaiah 66:15, Nehemiah 9:12-15), it symbolises something powerful, dangerous, uncontrollable and intangible. This is the mysterious presence of the Holy Spirit - the living fire that set our hearts aflame with love, giving us the burning charity & faith that Jesus desired for us (Luke 12:49).

The sevenfold grace is the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit prophesied in Isaiah 11:1-2. The “Finger of God” refers to the power of the Holy Spirit which manifested in Exodus 8:19, Exodus 31:18, Dan 5:5, 24 & Luke 11:19. This is the same power that Jesus promised he would give us to be his children and lead us into the truth John 16.

This hymn is so rich in biblical imagery you could spend ages meditating on it doing Lectio Divina, deepening your understanding of the Person & work of the Holy Spirit, who we profess in the Creed to be the “Lord and giver of life”

As the Apostles gathered with Mary when the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost (Acts 1:13-16) let us pray “Come Holy Spirit, come by the means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary your well beloved spouse” 🙏

———

Come Holy Ghost, Creator, come

from your bright heav'nly home,

Come, take possession of our souls

and make them all your own.

For you are called the Paraclete,

best gift of God above,

The living spring, the living fire,

sweet unction and true love.

And you are sev'nfold in your grace,

finger of God's right hand,

Whose promise teaches little ones

to speak and understand.

O guide our minds with your blest light,

with love our hearts inflame,

And with your strength, which ne'er decays,

confirm our mortal frame.

Far from us drive our deadly foe;

true peace unto us bring;

And through all perils lead us safe

beneath your sacred wing.

Through you may we the Father know,

through you the eternal Son,

And you the Spirit of them both,

thrice blessed Three in One.

Now to the Father and the Son,

Who rose from death, be glory given,

with Thou, O Holy Comforter,

henceforth by all in earth and heaven.

Amen.

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Disclaimer

Please note. I am a Catholic layman, not a qualified theologian or philosopher. What I say and write here are my own personal thoughts and ideas, although I always try to conform my writings to the Magisterium of the Church.

I- with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal Magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.