Yesterday was the Feast of Pentecost, the day considered the birthday of the Church, the day in which we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. On this day, Jesus invites us, the Church, to participate in his divine life by sending his spirit to dwell within us. Jesus gives us an Advocate to be with us always. He does not leave us orphans, but fills us with himself. Jesus tells us that the Advocate will teach us everything and guide us in all truth. He will our hearts and strengthen us. The gifts of the Spirit enable us to follow Christ and be witnesses of the truth, which is Christ, to the world.
Although not part of the Mass readings for today, the Gospel passages related to Pentecost that I really like are when Jesus tells the Apostles that he is going to the Father and that they will no longer see him. Upon hearing this, Jesus tells us that the Apostles hearts were full of grief. How could it be otherwise for those who truly encountered our God in the flesh – at least those whose hearts were open to accept him. But Jesus proceeds to explain that it is better that he goes because if he does not go, the Advocate will not come, but if he does goes, he will send the Advocate to them. Jesus promises the Apostles that their grief upon his leaving will turn to joy. Jesus then goes on to make a beautiful analogy to the joy which we can expect – “When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.” (John 16:21) How blessed are we that Jesus has shared his divine life with us by sending his spirit to dwell within us. Jesus told the Apostles on the night before he died to not let their hearts be troubled, but to have faith in him. Jesus promised them, as he does us, that he will take us to himself, so that where he is, we may also be. Jesus’s sending of his spirit makes this possible. Come Holy Spirit, set our hearts on fire with your love.
This morning Dorothy and I went to the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Martin de Porres in Mbungoni, which is a little over a twenty minute walk from the house. We arrived at the church at about 8:25 and there was a large crowd of people gathered outside the church. I was not surprised to realized that the 7 AM Mass had not yet finished. Masses running way over are very common here. Truth be told, the 8:30 AM Mass is actually supposed to be an 8 AM Mass (at least according to the church bulletin), but since I’ve been going to Mass at this church, the 8 AM Mass has never started before 8:30 AM and usually starts later that that. It may make me a bad Catholic, but I now just treat the Mass as an 8:30 AM Mass. Today, the 7 AM Mass ended up getting out at around 8:50 AM – almost an hour past the published start time of the second Mass.
What I found amazing was that the Mass I was attending started at only a few minutes past 9 AM. The people from the 7 AM Mass were able to exit the church and those of us waiting outside for the next Mass were able to enter the church and be seated in under fifteen minutes. As we all have experienced, Mass goers typically forget all about the Gospel once the Mass ends and people want to get home. In the US, this is most evident in the church parking lot, where everyone is in a rush to be the first ones to exit, which makes things even worse. While almost everyone walks to church here, the parking lot is not an issue, but exiting the church itself can be a free for all. However, what is even more amazing to me is that Fr. Dan, the parish priest, goes from one Mass into the other with virtually no break. When the Mass I attended was over at about 11:45 AM, the people waiting for the next Mass, the “10:30 AM Mass”, were outside the church. They streamed in as soon as we exited so that the next Mass could begin. I don’t know how Father has the stamina to do these back to back to back Masses. Remember, these are not your typical one hour and done Masses. These Masses are typically two to almost three hours long and during these Masses, Father will preach from forty five minutes to an hour.
The Mass itself was pretty typical for a Mass here, although it was a little amped up for the Feast of Pentecost. The choir at St. Martin’s is very large consisting of several dozen people, who occupy the front rows of one aisle of the church. As in most churches in Kenya, the choir is accompanied by an electronic keyboard playing a synthesized back beat. The choir is also accompanied by a drum and a kayamba, which is a flat musical instrument made of reed and filled with seeds that is shaken to produce sound similar to the way a rattle works. During the entrance procession, the offertory, and the recessional, about fifteen children lead the procession by dancing while walking. During most songs during the Mass, the congregation claps along and/or waves their hands. Some people even accompany the songs with with yells.
During yesterday’s Mass, there was no sense of rushing, regardless of how far behind the schedule was. The Mass was celebrated with energetic participation by everyone and no concern for time. What mattered only was the present and giving of oneself in worship to God. Just the Gloria itself, which was sung, went on for almost ten minutes. As the power grid is problematic here in Kenya, blackouts are common. During the Gloria, the lights and electricity went out in the church. As people here are used to it, no one missed a beat. The Gloria continued uninterrupted, but without the keyboard. Fortunately, the blackout only lasted about thirty seconds. When the electricity came back on, the keyboard just joined back in.
Although sprinkling with holy water and incense are also used in the US, they are used much more during Masses here in Kenya. In the US, you would typically see these used only during “special” Masses, here they are pretty much used in every Mass – at the beginning of Mass to incense the altar, before the reading of the Gospel, and after the bread and chalice are placed on the altar before being consecrated. When the congregation is blessed with holy water, it is no mere sprinkling, but rather a full onslaught of water. The priests here do not use an aspergillum – that silver ball on a stick that is used to sprinkle holy water, the liturgical implement that we have all seen hundreds of times at Mass, but which no one knows what it’s called. Yes, I had to look it up as I forgot its name. It’s not like aspergillum comes up in conversation very often! Blessing with holy water here is done with palm branches.
Skipping ahead to the collection and offertory, I’ll come back to the homily in a minute, the way the collection works at St. Martin’s and in most churches in Kenya is that collection boxes are placed in front of the altar and everyone walks up and drops an offering in the collection boxes. Keep in mind that during Masses here, the church is typically full. We’re talking about hundreds of people walking up to give their offering. There is no passing around of a basket in which to give your offering in anonymity. Sometimes there is more than one collection. If so, you do it all over again, but typically after Communion as these are special collections. After the collection, people also offer other gifts like food and clothing. These are also offered to God and for the usage of the Church. The children line up again and dance their way up the center aisle with people following them carrying these other gifts. The children then dance up to the alter yet another time with the bread and wine following them.
Now back to the homily. There were two themes from Fr. Dan’s homily that stuck with me. I’m sure he said many more great things, but as the Mass and homily were in Kiswahili (with a little, but not much, English mixed in), I’m grateful that I was able to extract even two things for further reflection. The first was speaking in tongues. Although I believe that the gift of speaking in tongues was one of the many gifts given to those gathered when the Holy Spirit descended during Pentecost, I have to admit that the idea of speaking in tongues is unfamiliar and rather uncomfortable territory for me. But I guess I’m in good company. I remember about five years ago after Pope Francis met with Catholic charismatics at a meeting in Rome and let them pray over him by speaking in tongues, Pope Francis admitted he was uncomfortable with the idea, but did go on to say that he realizes the benefits that charismatics have brought to the Church. In any event, I interpreted what Fr. Dan was saying with respect to speaking in tongues in the more general sense of the gifts with which the Holy Spirit blesses us – with speaking in tongues potentially one manifestation of those gifts. As St. Paul tells us, the Holy Spirit produces different kinds of spiritual gifts in each of us, according to God’s plan for us.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
The second point from Fr. Dan’s homily was the idea of stewardship. We are given these wonderful gifts from God, but it is up to use to use them generously and responsibly. Jesus himself tells us that we will be held responsible for the gifts with which we have been entrusted.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.
Luke 12:48
I once read read a reflection on this quote by Jesus in Luke 12 that amusingly, at least for me, referred to the often quoted phrase from Spider-Man where Uncle Ben tells Peter Parker “With great power comes great responsibility” as a paraphrase of Jesus’ above quote. So as Uncle Ben tells Peter, we need to use our superpowers wisely! Or, if you prefer a biblical exhortation, St. Peter said the following.
“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace”.
1 Peter 4:10
So what exactly is stewardship. We are all very familiar with the often used phrase of giving our time, talent and treasure. While being a Christian steward certainly means giving generously of our time, talent and treasure, the following, which I first read in a publication from the Archdiocese of Boston many years ago, is what best sums up for me what it means to be a good steward. For me, this beautifully spell out to how we are to responsibly use the gifts, the superpowers, which God has graciously bestowed on us. As Christian stewards, we are to receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.
God is good.
