In the stretch of some days, we switched over from Resurrection joy and fiery feasts to ordinary time. (At least, according to the Church calendar that guides my contemplation.)<\/p>\n
Holiness, light goodness, hope, love, transformation: all these energies are offered to us on this side of linear thinking and time. Yet, the God we know and love is bigger than the limits of our human understanding. This love invites us into a mystery that remakes us each moment, through each breath.<\/p>\n
The Psalm (104) says: When you send forth your Spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the Earth.<\/p>\n
The Spirit is being sent upon us constantly. Over and over we are created. Again and again, the face of the earth is renewed. The nature of the Spirit doing all of this is fire, wind and the flight of doves. It’s forceful, fierce, and moving. Not still and rarely subtle.<\/p>\n
Yet, we are stalled by our lack of faith; by our fear of the Spirit’s fire and force, it seems.<\/p>\n
Our faith in God’s power is corroded and corrupted by the world’s lies, by matters that are unGospel: security, strength and an obsession to protect our things. This is the trouble I encountered in a quick conversation with a man before worship on Sunday. As I aimed to prepare my heart for Pentecost Mass, I heard a suggestion that I ought to carry a weapon when I go to the margins of society, into the corners where street violence is a regular thing.<\/p>\n
Such suggestions are due to the stalling to truly change our ways and steward the sacred gift of life and Earth we’ve been given \u2014 <\/span>as named by the prophetic and powerful voice found in <\/span>Greta Thunberg<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n