Excerpts

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in the Upper Room
Mother of the Church and Help of Christians

We see the Apostles before the day of Pentecost 'persevering with one mind in prayer with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with his brethren' (Acts 1:14), and we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation" (Lumen Gentium, n. 59).

Pope John Paul II's teaching on Mary's presence in the Upper Room reminds us of Our Lady's role as "Help of Christians."

"Unlike those in the Upper Room who were waiting in fearful expectation, she, fully aware of the importance of her Son's promise to the disciples (cf. Jn 14:16), helped the community to be well disposed to the coming of the 'Paraclete.' Thus, while her unique experience made her ardently long for the Spirit's coming, it also involved her in preparing the minds and hearts of those around her."(General Audience, 5/28/97). Emphasis added.

Intercessors

Mary, who helped that first community to prepare for the Holy Spirit, desires to come to our assistance today to prepare our minds and hearts for a new and continuous outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Father helps us to reflect on Mary's Spiritual Motherhood when he states:

"It was appropriate that the first outpouring of the Spirit upon her, which had happened in view of her divine motherhood, should be repeated and reinforced. Indeed, at the foot of the Cross Mary was entrusted with a new motherhood, which concerned Jesus' disciples. It was precisely this mission that demanded a renewed gift of the Spirit. The Blessed Virgin therefore wanted it for the fruitfulness of her spiritual motherhood." (General Audience, 5/28/97 52nd in series on the Blessed Mother).

Intercessors

As intercessors, we unite ourselves to Mary in her spiritual motherhood directed to bishops and priests. Through our total consecration to Jesus through Mary, she guides and assists us in carrying out our commitment faithfully and fruitfully.

The Holy Father explains Mary's prayer and the coming of the Holy Spirit when he says:

"Mary's prayer has particular significance in the Christian community: it fosters the coming of the Spirit, imploring his action in the hearts of the disciples and in the world. Just as in the Incarnation the Spirit had formed the physical body of Christ in her virginal womb, now in the Upper Room the same Spirit comes down to give life to the Mystical Body. Thus Pentecost is also a fruit of the Blessed Virgin's incessant prayer, which is accepted by the Paraclete with special favor because it is an expression of her motherly love for the Lord's disciples." (General Audience, 5/28/97).

Come, Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy
faithful and enkindle in them the fire of
Thy Love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be
created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

The following brief excerpt from Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical, On the Holy Spirit, reinforces our need to continually pray to and invoke the Holy Spirit. It has been divided into paragraphs for effective meditation.

Divinum Illud Munus
On the Holy Spirit

"We ought to pray to and invoke the Holy Spirit, for each one of us greatly needs His protection and His help. The more a man is deficient in wisdom, weak in strength, borne down with trouble, prone to sin, so ought he the more to fly to Him who is the never-ceasing fount of light, strength, consolation, and holiness. And chiefly that first requisite of man, the forgiveness of sins, must be sought for from Him:

'It is the special character of the Holy Ghost that He is the Gift of the Father and the Son. Now the remission of all sins is given by the Holy Ghost as by the Gift of God.' Concerning this Spirit the words of the Liturgy are very explicit: 'For He is the remission of all sins.'

"How He should be invoked is clearly taught by the Church, who addresses Him in humble supplication, calling upon Him by the sweetest of names:

"Come, Father of the poor!
Come, Giver of gifts!
Come, Light of our hearts!
O best of Consolers, sweet Guest of the soul, our refreshment!"

"She earnestly implores Him to wash, heal, water our minds and hearts, and to give to us who trust in Him 'the merit of virtue, the acquirement of salvation, and joy everlasting.' Nor can it be in any way doubted that He will listen to such prayer, since we read the words written by His own inspiration:

'The Spirit Himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings' (Rom.8:26). Lastly, we ought confidently and continually to beg of Him to illuminate us daily more and more with His light and inflame us with His charity: for, thus inspired with faith and love, we may press onward earnestly towards our eternal reward, since He 'is the pledge of our inheritance'" (Eph. 1:14).

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