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Jesus in the Mysteries of the Rosary

  1. Glorious Mysteries
    1. The Descent of the Holy Spirit

If with the Ascension we said that "the Earth has never been so close to Heaven", now with The Descent of the Holy Spirit we could say that "Heaven has never been so close to Earth". It is impossible to conceive in this life a more intimate union than the one that can be established between the Holy Spirit and our own souls (Read more: Pentecost: God also emerged, as it were, from his intimacy and came to meet us).

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1st) «And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always» (Jn 14:16). This promise is linked to the others made by Jesus when he is gone to the Father: «I will not leave you orphans» (Jn 14:18); «I am with you always» (Mt 28:20). But since the Ascension things have changed: "The apostles and the Church must continually find, by means of the Holy Spirit, that presence of the Word-Son which, during his earthly mission, was physical and visible, but which, after his ascension to the Father, is completely immersed in mystery. The Holy Spirit's presence will make the invisible Christ present in a lasting manner "until the end of the world." (St. John Paul II) (Read more: «It is better for you that I go away»).

 

2nd) «But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears» (Jn 16:13). God has made himself known to us more intimately through redemption. Among other things, he has discovered to us the "personality" of the Holy Spirit (whom we call "Third Person" of the Holy Trinity) (Read more: «I will send you (…) the Spirit of truth»).

It is «the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it» (Jn 14:17). The words of Jesus present us to the Holy Spirit as a Person, a God-Someone, intimately united to the Father and to the Son (it is the bond of union - Love - between Father and Son). Therefore, it is not an impersonal energy; it is rather an "energetic" Person introduced on Pentecost as "fire" (cf. Acts 2:3) (Read more: God the Holy Spirit).

 

3rd) «Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?» (Acts 1:6), the disciples ask Jesus shortly before his Ascension. Men like to finish things quickly (triumph without the cross), and, in addition, we are curious. Jesus did not answer directly to the question, but he responded and advanced some very interesting information (more than the question itself!): «It is not for you to know the times or seasons (...), But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you» (Acts 1:7-8). Ten days later the reiterated promise of Jesus was fulfilled (Read more: «It is better for you that I go away»).

 

4th) «When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled (...), suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit» (Acts 2:1-4). And the result was immediate: those men were radically transformed: daring, brave, loquacious, erudite ... In the first preaching of Peter all those who listened to him were astonished: «What are we to do, my brothers?» (Acts 2:37 ), the listeners asked ... That day «about three thousand persons were added that day (into the Church)» (Acts 2:41).

 

5th) «They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers» (Acts 2:42). We could say that the Holy Spirit is a subtle "Personage": Jesus said to Nicodemus «The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but... » (Jn 3,8). St. John Paul II, with a great sense of realism, affirmed that "the Holy Spirit remains as the mysterious God" (cf. Is 45:15), and as such will remain throughout the history of the Church and the world. It could be said that He is "hidden" in the shadow of Christ» (Read more: «Receive the Holy Spirit»).

Conclusion: to find him you have to exercise spiritually. For doing so the first generation of Christians gathered around Holy Mary (the "full of grace": Lk 1:28). His Son, Jesus, " is not content with coming to meet us. He wants more. His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, emanates from him and enters our hearts, thereby uniting us with Jesus himself and with the Father, the Triune God» (Benedict XVI).

December 26th
Feast of Saint Stephen, first martyr

Gospel and commentary video

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December 25th
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): Mass during the Night

Gospel and commentary video

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