I stood with my right hand on her right shoulder as the Bishop anointed her forehead. He prayed, "Veronica, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." And she did. Her soul is now marked for all eternity. That little moment, surrounded with parents, friends, family, flowers and gifts, is an eternal moment.
Our Bishop is young and slightly built with a small voice and a weak chin. He wears the mitre like a little boy dressing up in his Dad's oversized hat. It almost wears him. The crosier, his shepherd's staff, seems heavy and clumsy to wield, and he hands it off to his assistant at the earliest possible moment. And while he appears somewhat weak, his words have the strength of truth. His demeanor is prayerful and still. He would probably be more at ease in a monastery. And yet the Holy Father chose him.
I sat in the second row and beamed with the great joy of being part of the very Breath of Life. When your church has a couple millennia under its belt, the eternal truths are ever-ancient, ever-new. The solemnity and joy, the sincerity and the pomp all commingle in one great "Amen!" to the One Eternal God.
Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and in our hearts take up Thy rest.
16 years ago
2 comments:
This is something that does not impress Evangelicals who think that to be "baptized with the Holy Spirit" is a big, emotional and cathartic experience. When my son was confirmed he himself saw the sacramental grace at work within him when he began talking about Christ to his pagan friends. But it was all very "ordinary", not emotional.
Hey Ruth Anne! Could you send me a quick email? (Not to the blogtips one - in the profile). I tried looking for yours without success.
Thanks. :)
Victoria
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