43 My Monologues with the Tongues of Fire

43 My Monologues with the Tongues of Fire

Oh, the Mighty Tongues of Fire,

My earliest memories of You go back to the memories of a Twelve year old lad!

As the part of the preparations for the Sacrament of Confirmation, one day a grandmotherly holy nun brought to our class with some beautifully cut out white paper doves.  She had also brought along some tongue shaped, fire-red flame like paper cuts. She held them high one of each in her hands and told us, the adolescent kids, these are the symbols of the Holy Spirit. While the white dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit descending upon us during our baptism as it did at the baptism of Jesus. The fire-red, tongue shaped flame like paper cuts represented the descend of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples praying in the Upper Room. She told us the Holy Spirit would descend upon us on our Confirmation day as it happened with the disciples in the Upper Room. On our Confirmation day we were given one of each of these tongue shaped, fire-red paper cuts as a headgear. They were glued to paper rings big enough to be placed on our heads as crowns. For us kids, it was a joy to sport them! When I think of the Upper Room experience of the disciples, these happy memories of  the Confirmation ceremony keep popping up afresh in my mind! It makes me feel good!

Come, Oh, Holy Spirit, come upon me,

As the Tongues of Fire and purify me!

Come, Oh,  Holy Spirit, come up  me,

As a Mighty Wind and sweep me off my feet.

Come, Oh, Holy Spirit, come upon me,

As the Fountain of Living Spring!

Come, Oh, Holy Spirit, come drench me,

That my life may never run dry!

Come, Oh, Holy Spirit, come,

As the Gentle Spirit,

Come, permeate every fiber of me,

That my life be be gentle and serene!

Come, Oh, Holy Spirit, come,

And release me from the clutches of the Evil Spirit,

Come, free me from its evil influence,

And replenish me with your holy promptings.

Come, Oh,  Holy  Spirit, come,

And renew my drooping spirit.

Come, refresh me with your vibrant Spirit,

That I may feel refreshed every day!

Oh,  Holy Spirit, the Mighty Tongues of Fire,

Oh, Holy Spirit, the Fountain of  the Living  Spring,

Oh, Holy Spirit, the Gentle Spirit,

Oh, Holy Spirit, the Refresher, the Renewer,

As I look back at my life and into my life,
My heart overwhelms with joy and gratitude to You!

For inspiring me to keep repenting over my sins,

For for strengthening me to keep coming back,

I thank you for helping "to come to (my) senses"

I thank you for guiding me to keep returning,

I thank you for inspiring me with positive thoughts.

I thank you for encouraging me to get up when I fall!

I pray to keep on recognizing the intuitions you give me

And follow them and practise them in my daily life.

I pray I don't grow cold or callous to your vibrations.

I pray that I feel the joy of your presence in my life.

Dear Lord of Resurrection and of Ascension,

Thank you for gifting me with your Holy Spirit.

Help me to remember the many gifts of the Spirit

That I have been given since the moment of my birth,

Help me to keep remembering: these Gifts of the Spirit

Are for striving after the "abundance of life"

For myself and for my fellow humans coming into my life. May I keep reminding myself:

Even if I have "tongues of men or of angels",

Even if I have all other Gifts of the Spirit,

If I don't have the genuine Love,

"I am nothing...I gain nothing."

The memories of the Solemn Gregorian Chant,  

"Veni Creator Spiritus..... "Come Holy Spirit"....

keeps coming to my mind.

It was forty plus years ago.....

The memories of my Ordination keep coming..

It was a cool Thursday evening of a 23rd October.

Though  I was a bit nervous,

I was all set to be ordained a priest of the Lord.

Clad in a deacon's alb and stole,

There I laid myself in prostration...

In the Sanctuary...

in the presence of the Presiding Bishop.

The Seminary Choir Solemnly started chanting the hymn "Veni Creator Spiritus .... (Come Holy Spirit..")

Though tense, I never prayed so fervently as I did then.

I prayed for your constant presence and guidance

In my little life as a priest of the Lord.

You did hear my prayer..

And you had been present constantly in my life,

Though I kept failing often to recognize it....

Oh, the Tongues of Fire,

I continue to plead and pray:

That you continue to be with me in every pace of my Pilgrimage, the Pilgrimage of a Prodigal Priest's home coming, though at a snail's speed!

My Lord and My God!

I want to spend some time in silence,

in your presence..

and feel the "gentle breeze"

as well as the "Tongues  of Fire"..

of the Spirit permeating all over my being..

And I want to be keep on humming silently...

"Veni Creátor Spíritus,
Mentes tuórum vísita:
Implesupérna grátia
Quae tu creásti péctora.

Qui díceris Paráclitus,
Altísimi dónum Dei,
Fons vivus, ignis, cáritas,
Et spiritális únctio.

Tu septifórmis múnere,
Digitus paténae déxterae,
Tu rite promíssum patris,
Sermóne ditans gútera.

Accénde lumen sénsibus,
Infundeamórem córdibus,
Infírma nostri córporis
Virtúte fírmans pérpeti.

Hóstem repéllas lóngius,
Pacémque dones prótinus:
Ductóre sic te práevio,
Vitémus omne nóxium.

Per te sciámus da Patrem,
Noscámus atque Fílium
Teque utriúsque Spíritum
Credámus omni témpore.

Deo Patri sit glória,
Et Fílio, que a mórtuis
Surréxit, ac Paráclito,
In saeculórum sáecula.
Amen"



English translation of
Veni Creator Spiritus
Come, Holy Ghost

"Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
and in our hearts take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heav'nly aid,
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O Comforter, to Thee we cry,
Thou heav'nly gift of God most high,
Thou Fount of life, and Fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.

O Finger of the hand divine,
the sevenfold gifts of grace are thine;
true promise of the Father thou,
who dost the tongue with power endow.

Thy light to every sense impart,
and shed thy love in every heart;
thine own unfailing might supply
to strengthen our infirmity.

Drive far away our ghostly foe,
and thine abiding peace bestow;
if thou be our preventing Guide,
no evil can our steps betide.

Praise we the Father and the Son
and Holy Spirit with them One;
and may the Son on us bestow
the gifts that from the Spirit flow.".

Amen

JoAchen

Thursday, 21st May, 2015

joachenmonologues@gmail.com

PS

Dear Reader,
These Reflections are neither pure scientific exegesis nor are they any highly theological explanations. They are my devotional meditations mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth. They are a part of the journaling of a 'Prodigal Priest' on my Pilgrimage to the Home of our Heavenly Father.

You are welcome to share them.
Dear Reader, I keep holding you in my prayers and I request you to include me in yours.

I plan on uploading a Reflection each on 7th, 14th, 21st, and on the 28th of every month.
Thank you!