SET THE WORLD ON FIRE!

HIS:

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire…not really, but yesterday was Pentecost Sunday and that is all about fire.  Fire represents the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus’ disciples following his ascension into Heaven.  Given the way we started the Easter season with a minor explosion and fire on Easter Sunday, it seems only fitting that the Easter season ends the way it began (metaphorically), with the commemoration of the appearance of the holy spirit in the form of flames.  Pentecost is frequently viewed as the birth of the church as the apostles received the “power” from on high and they began to preach and spread the good news of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.  But first, a little background on St. Peter’s in Olney, Maryland.

The origins of the parish that would later become known as St. Peter’s go back to the early 19^th century.  Originally a station and then a mission of St Mary’s in Rockville (see Roamin’ Catholics January 14), St Peter’s was first mentioned by that name in 1860 but didn’t become a parish in its own right for almost another 100 years!  This makes me think of Kenny Chesney’s song, Don’t Blink – Trust me friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think so don’t blink…but I digress.  The current church building for St Peter’s was dedicated in 1989.  I must say it has held up quite well over these nearly 30 years.  Now as many of you know from previous blogs, I am not a big fan of the post Vatican II church design.  I prefer the big soaring monuments to the Almighty!  That said, there was something about this church that appealed to me.  It felt fresh and airy, even on a dreary morning.  The facility was quite large.  In addition to the main church area, there was a smaller chapel behind the main altar.  By smaller chapel, I mean this could have been the main church for some of the parishes we’ve been to!  We entered through what turned out to be a rear door for the church and saw a lot of the inner workings.  In addition to the chapel, there were meeting rooms, the sacristy and the bathrooms.  The nave of the main church had an interesting fresco of Jesus as a boy working with Joseph doing woodworking on one side and a brief history of famous Catholics in Maryland on the other.  The altar reminded me of a boat and the stain glass surrounding the crucifix had four quadrants representing bread and wine, water indicating our baptism and flames representing, wait for it (were you paying attention earlier) the Holy Spirit!  This place is so big we got lost leaving after Mass, I couldn’t find the car!  Never had that happen before.  At the mall yes, leaving a church, NO!

The main themes of this week’s readings are two fold, One and the Holy Spirit.  When the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, all those gathered were speaking in their own tongue but each was able to understand what the others were saying, in their own tongue.  That would be like someone speaking to me in Greek but I heard them in English.  The second reading continued the theme of oneness.  Different kinds of spiritual gifts, but one spirit.  Different forms of service, but one Lord.  Different workings but one God who produces all of them in everyone.  As a body is one though it has many parts,  and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.  Some powerful stuff that I know I could stand to learn more about.  My takeaway is that we are all one, no matter where we are from, what color our skin or what God we worship or language we speak.  We all have the same wants and desires and needs.  As an individual I struggle every day with carrying out the gospel to be kind, to be charitable, to love my fellow man.  Today’s gospel according to John tells us that Everything that the Father has is mine.  What greater love is there than that?  Take all that I have to give.  I think the least I can do in gratitude is to be kind to my fellow man.  (Insert whiny voice) – But its soooooo hard to be kind on I-270 when some idiot wont get out of my way or some entitled guy in a fancy car thinks he is more important than me….Sorry, I had to get that out there.  I feel better.  Today’s homilist reminded us of a few things.  Don’t fall into spiritual mediocrity, refuse to compromise with the world and beware of beige Catholicism.  Probing further, what compromises have I already made and where can I go if I refuse to compromise?  Interesting stuff.  I think this is a call to serve and evangelize.  We shouldn’t be afraid to at least wear our faith on our sleeve as it were.  I know that Mary will cover some of the comments regarding St. Teresa of Avalon but she exemplified the idea of be the change that you want to see.  I’ve tried to be the change that I want to see.  Most everything I do, I do because it is the way that I want to be treated.  I must continue on that path.

Breakfast yesterday morning was a last minute decision.  We were going to head home but decided to head over to Royal Bagel Bakery in Olney.  A favorite of ours from Germantown.  Our neighbors and friends from across the street also rave about Royal.  So when we found out that they had an outpost in Olney, we decided to make a stop for a nosh before starting our day.  Delish!  I hope that this weeks Roamin’s Catholics provided some inspiration to “be the change you want to see.”

HERS:
This week led us to a St. Peter's Church in Olney, MD. I remember the last time we attended mass here, my Mom was in town visiting and we all went to mass together. I realize when I walked in the church yesterday morning for 7:30 mass that I had very little recollection of the church itself. This was another post Vatican II parish builet in 1989. The outside did not resemble a Catholic church at all. Inside was a different story - all Catholic!

So this week is the seventh and last Sunday of Easter, aka Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost recounts the time when the disciples locked themselves in a room and were visited by the Holy Spirit in the form of fire.

And fire was a hot topic when it came time for the homily. Pun intended. I took Lou's queue from the past couple of weeks and took some notes on my phone during the homily. Fr. Aaron Qureshi, the celebrant this week began his homily by recounting the life of a Carmelite nun named Sr. Theresa who spent the first 20 years of her time in the nunnery in what he called SPIRITUAL MEDIOCRITY, that is, she was caught between her calling as a nun and the frivolities and draws of the world. After 20 years, she had a moment that changed her forever and she fully dedicated her life to her calling. The same was true of the apostles after Jesus left them and went to Heaven. Their leader was gone and they were afraid. They had locked themselves in a room and that is when the Holy Spirit came to them in the form of fire. Fr. Qureshi related this to our lives when he referred to "Beige Catholics".

That's when Fr. Qureshi revealed four things that fire does:
It Purifies.
It Enlightens.
It Transforms.
It Attracts.

Then it dawned on me. We are supposed to be fire! People are attracted to fire. People sit around fireplaces and campfires and firepits.  We gather, we talk, we laugh, we eat, we drink, and my favorite, we make s'mores!  Fire warms. Fire sparks. Fire radiates. Fire cooks. When we live our lives as fire (the good kind, not the kind that destroys) we radiate, we spark, we set others on fire. There is nothing beige about fire. There is nothing mediocre about fire. I want to be fire. Let's be fire!

Two sidenotes, this church wins the Roomiest Pew Award. All other churches are coach, but this was first class when it came to leg room! The second sidenote is that there was a beautiful grotto on the outside of the church...

After mass we went to Royal Bagel Bakery for bagel breakfast sandwiches. Another Roamin' Catholics in the books!

And as always, our Soulfie:

Have a fiery week!