Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on Corpus Christi Sunday.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The eighth article of the Apostle’s Creed is “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” There are six (6) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding this article of the Creed. The following is a reflection on article 744.
Ours is a time conscious era with all sorts of clocks: atomic, on cell phones, in car dashboards. Often we have become a very impatient people with instant messaging, text messaging, wireless e-mail. God who made the Sun and the Moon to mark the passing of time (cf. Genesis 1:14-18) is not negligent of time. It was in the fullness of time that the eternal Father sent His eternal Son into the world with the cooperation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (cf. Galatians 4:4).
There were many preparations for the coming of Christ throughout the ages. The various covenants, with Noah (cf. Genesis 7:1-8:21; 9:12-17), with Abraham (cf. Genesis 22:17), with Moses (cf. Exodus 12:3-17; 24:12; 34:27-32; Deuteronomy 29:1), with David (cf. 2 Samuel 6:15; 1 Chronicles 11:3; 2 Chronicles 21:7; Psalm 89:3; Isaiah 55:3) but these were all anticipations for the new and everlasting covenant in the Blood of Jesus (cf. Hebrews 12:24; 13:20; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5). The last bit of preparation for the definitive covenant, fulfilling all others was the preservation of Our Lady from any stain of Original Sin so as to be a fit dwelling place for Jesus’ first nine (9) months among us.
Jesus Christ, true God and true man was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a daughter of the People of God. Israel is the People of God of old. Holy Mother Church is the new Israel, the new People of God. The Latin phrase Populi Dei (People of God) plays a significant role in the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Chapter Two (II), articles 9-17, of Lumen Gentium takes it’s title from the phrase.
Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church and Workers, is the foster-father of the Lord Jesus. It was without the aid of man, Saint Joseph included, that the Virgin Mary conceived in her womb and bore the Savior of the world, giving birth to Jesus Christ in Bethlehem (cf. Matthew 2:1). As head of the Holy Family Saint Joseph exercised a real paternity over the Lord Jesus who was know as ‘the carpenter’s son’ (cf. Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Jesus’ true and eternal Father is the one who sent the Archangel Gabriel to both Mary and Joseph on different occasions and ultimately the Holy Spirit to overshadow Mary that she might become the Mother of God, the Mother of the Redeemer, the Mother of the Church.
Our faith in Christ, Emmanuel, ‘God with us’ (cf. Matthew 1:23) is possible only thanks to the Holy Spirit by whom He was conceived, in whom we cry out Jesus is Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3).
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr