PENTECOST AND FEAST OF THE VISITATION
Sister Joan Tuberty
Are there “signs of the times” that are forcing their way into our consciousness as we come to celebrate these two “Church seasonal times” today? The COVID-19 pandemic overshadows us with 100,000 deaths in our country and the death of a black man, George Floyd, whose breath was taken away by a policeman in Minneapolis supported by 3 other police officers haunts us and erupts into burning racial rage in our much loved city! The psalm that asks, “How can we sing our songs, while we dwell in this foreign land?” rises in our awareness. This is not a foreign land, but indeed a strange and unusual time when our hearts are broken by grief and raging racism.
Holding these times in our hearts today is a most important time for the Christian community to cry out in unison, “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and renew the face of the earth!” Our songs are sung with confidence in the promise that Jesus would send us an advocate to teach us all we needed to know and pour the spirit of love into our hearts and bring wisdom, understanding and fortitude to guide us and ultimately bring peace! Let us urge God to send these gifts into our world. Come Holy Spirit, COME!
The Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth is a joyous feast and for that reason important to lift up and celebrate now! Sister Miriam Therese Winter composed a lovely song called THE VISIT! Let us close with a few lines from this little song:
Hail little sister, who heralds the spring,
Hail brave mother, who carries the King,
Hail to the moment beneath your breast,
May all generations call you blessed.
When you walk in the summer through the heat on the hill,
When you’re one with the wind and one with his will,
Be brave with the burden you are blessed to bear,
For it’s Christ that you carry everywhere, everywhere, EVERYWHERE.
