PENTECOST AND THE PAULISTS

Frank DeSiano, CSP

One of Fr. Hecker’s clear convictions was this: if Catholics would begin attending to the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, faith would be transformed—not only in the New World, which was Hecker’s primary missionary territory, but also throughout the world.

One of the largest movements in Christianity in the twentieth century was the emergence of “Pentecostalism” in California, a movement which has spread world-wide and which, reports say, is sweeping through Latin America, pulling millions of Catholics from their religious roots.

What is attractive about Pentecostalism, of course, is the directness of expressions of faith: people sense divine presence immediately, see miracles happening before their eyes, and speak their faith with conviction and ease. In some ways it parallels pieces of popular piety which modernity, and modern Catholics, tend to look at with caution. Just as we no longer keep stories of miracles at Lourdes at the top of our Catholic headlines, so we feel awkward about people claiming to have visions and to be able to make prophecies about the future.
If some expressions of religious enthusiasm cause hesitance for modern people, that does not seem to close out all forms of enthusiasm. Part of what Hecker wanted was a more positive, expressive and personal form of faith, one that did not rely primarily on external forms of liturgy and devotion. What’s going on behind the ritual? Can we see a Catholic faith that is more than “going through the motions”?

Part of what the Holy Spirit represents is, exactly, a more spirited kind of faith. Something less stodgy, something less formal, something less ritual-based. Such a spirited quality can arise in two ways: (1) from the personal involvement of an individual in his or her faith; and (2) from a more interactive celebration of the external rites of the Church.

Pentecostalism can seem like one form of “American liturgy,” a liturgy which celebrates God’s immediacy in song and movement, a liturgy which directly interprets the Word of God in terms of the lives of everyday people, a liturgy that says everyone has access to God. Things seem more spirited, that is, when they are not done by rote or primarily out of obligation.

Hecker, of course, was no “holy roller”—he loved the Catholic liturgy and even seems to have relished its quietness. Nevertheless, Hecker saw that a purely formal exercise of faith was not destined to grow. Faith took more than actions; it took “heart.”
Paulist thinking about the Holy Spirit has not veered, for the most part, toward Pentecostal expressions. The majority of Paulists are not formally part of the Charismatic movement, for example, though some explicitly describe themselves in Charismatic terms. Closer to Paulist expression are the “fruits” of the Holy Spirit which Paul lists in his letter to the Galatians—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

A Paulist take on Pentecost would be to intentionally and deliberately live and celebrate faith with an emphasis on these qualities from Galatians, both as a personal attitude, and also as a guide for how to celebrate our faith in common worship. In other words, there is both an internal and external side to renewal in the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s list in Galatians certainly shows the direction of inner change. But it also reveals how things can be externally, in our assemblies and in our worship. Instead of emphasizing rule and ritual—important as those might be—we can deliberately emphasize joy and love, kindness and generosity, more of a large heart rather than a cautious one. When one thinks about it, if Catholics in our culture could express this part of Catholic sentiment, our Church would look very different. . . and much more attractive as well. This seems to be part of what Hecker was getting at.
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June 18-21, Washington, DC, Paulist Anniversary Convocation
150 Years of Proclaiming Good News

Format for the Meeting

1. Check-in
2. Paulist Prayer (Pentecost Evening Prayer, p. 339)
3. Reading: Paulist Vocation, p. 212 (“Many Christians”…) to 213 (…”His Holy Spirit”)
4. Reactions to the readings and newsletter
5. Apostolic reports, “Paulist” opportunities
6. Prayer (“Litany of Holy Spirit,” Paulist Prayer Book, p 399))
7. Announcements and Plans for next meeting
8. Refreshments

Questions for Discussion

1. How do you think about the expression (and expressiveness) of the Holy Spirit in your life? In Church life?
2. What does Pentecost mean to you?
3. How would you imagine a more “spirited” Catholicism?

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Chronology

May 4: Knoxville celebrations of the 150th Anniversary
May 18: San Francisco celebrations of the 150th Anniversary
May 19-22: General Council Meeting
May 23-26: Portland Celebrations of the 150th Anniversary

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CONVOCATION AGENDA

The Associates at the June Convocation will have a breakout session so we can accomplish our own agenda. Items for consideration: development of a steering board for the Associates, membership and responsibilities as Associates, reports on the Associate groups, brainstorming for the future.

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Contact Information:

Frank DeSiano
8611 Midland Parkway
Jamaica, NY 11432
718-291-5995