Pentecost Reflection

Fr. Bob Struzynski, OFM, and Mike Fenn offer us the gift of their reflections for Pentecost.
*********************
Gospel Reading


On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

*********************
By Fr. Bob Struzynski, OFM

I get very excited about the Feast of Pentecost. Someone has said that the Spirit is the presence of Jesus when Jesus is absent. That sounds pretty good to me except I would add “the loving, healing, life-giving presence.” I love the message of the Risen Lord as he “breathes” this presence on the first believers – it would be a powerful presence that enables them to break through fear into peace and that would enable them to carry on his mission of reconciliation through forgiveness.

I would like to share briefly on the first part of this message. I experienced the Spirit's power in my life to break through fear into peace in a special way when I decided to leave Bona's in 1978 and join two other brothers to begin St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia. After I made the decision I went for a retreat in Maine and during the retreat became very fearful of following through with my decision to leave the academic life behind and live a simple life with the poor.

One night I had a dream and in the dream I saw myself enclosed within a field by thick heavy walls. Combined with this dream was a certain experience of God through the Scriptures that I was reading at this time. I read the passage about Jesus curing the man who was crippled and was laying by the healing waters of the pool of Siloam. Jesus asked the man if he wanted to walk and the man complained that he could never get to the healing waters in time to be cured, someone always got there ahead of him. I was the imprisoned man who was not able to get up and walk.

But I heard the words of Jesus very strongly “Get up, pick up your mat and walk!” in a very personal way. Jesus was saying to me just get up and walk and I would find I was walking into my new life. I did, and those seemingly thick, impenetrable walls were nothing but an illusion created by my fear. As I went to touch them my hand went right through them. There was nothing to stop me. Jesus led me right through my fear into greater freedom and new life.

This is only one story from one life. I'll bet all of you reading this little sharing on the bible readings for Pentecost could add many many more stories of God's loving, healing, strengthening presence through the gift of the Spirit. In true “Mountain” fashion let us rejoice, give thanks and spread the Good News!

*********************
By Mike Fenn

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you”

I am thrilled to partner up with Bob on this special holy day of Pentecost, as we have common threads related to this day. I, too, was called from St. Bonaventure (as a student) to live at St. Francis Inn. While my work there could only have taken place through the pioneering of Bob and his Brothers, it was a wonderful year of truly walking the spirit in everything I did.

Another connection that Bob has drawn out is my recent dream that has been on my mind for a few weeks now. On March 24, my father passed away in North Carolina after a few years of being in poor health. We had a wonderful funeral, recalling his life dedicated to Christian ministry. However he was to be buried in New York City about a month later. The planning for this second event was difficult as many from our family lives far from there. It was also difficult to go through the grieving process for a second time. Truly my spirit was down, and I was depressed at trying to help in the planning while life continues forward at a fast pace in every other respect.

About a week before the memorial service my father visited me in a dream. He was the giant I remember him being when I was young, wearing one of his three-piece business suits. I ran up and hugged him, asked him if he was back. He said, “No, but I’m OK.”

As I read the gospel quote above, and thought about Bob’s own dream, I felt my dream was a message from my father and the Holy Spirit to continue all the goods works he had ministered through his long life. In a way my Father was sending me forth. I pray the Holy Spirit will support me and my family to follow my father’s significant footsteps.

(Click "Post a Comment" below to share your thoughts.)

(Mt. Irenaeus Web Site)