Beware the disappearance of culture

May 17, 2018

145. Many intensive forms of environmental exploitation and degradation not only exhaust the resources which provide local communities with their livelihood, but also undo the social structures which, for a long time, shaped cultural identity and their sense of the meaning of life and community. The disappearance of a culture can be just as serious, or even more serious, than the disappearance of a species of plant or animal.

The imposition of a dominant lifestyle linked to a single form of production can be just as harmful as the altering of ecosystems.

Source : Laudato Si'

Fr. Robert Tywoniak

Blessed Sacrament Church

The Holy Spirit Is the Moisture That Holds the Dough Together.

Saint Irenaeus, bishop, wrote the Holy Spirit is like moisture added to dry flour that forms a lump of dough that forms a loaf of bread. Without the Holy Spirit, “we who are many could not become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes down from heaven.” (From the Treatise Against Heresies.) Further, Irenaeus says, “Through the baptism that liberates us from change and decay we have become one in body; through the Spirit we have become one in soul.”

While Jesus was on Earth His message was limited to one time, place and people. As true man walking on Earth He could only be at one place at a time. The Holy Spirit, however, spans the globe. It is able to work in and through all people.

Pentecost is the celebration of the Spirit as the force for Christian growth. This is seen in the willingness of Christians to stand up and witness to their faith. We gain the courage to move beyond ourselves to others with the message of life.

In Acts, the Spirit is presented as the source of power for witness. It makes a noise then fire. The Apostles are given gifts that permit them to preach to all. We see what happened in Genesis at the Tower of Babble reversed. The sign is the Word will go out to all of humankind. The Word is universal. It brings about a diversity of function without threat to unity. This is what is meant in 1 Corinthians 12 when Paul says, “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” All our talents are to be used by all to unify us into one wonderful community of love.

• What experience of the Holy Spirit have you had in your life?
• In what way can you see the Holy Spirit bring our parish community together?

The Holy Spirit is the moisture that holds thedough together.

Fr. Robert Tywoniak
Pastor