“All my life has been based on the discovery of the Holy Spirit. I call him my friend, and I believe I have reasons for doing that.”

“For the beauty of the Church of God, Jesus gave His blood; and the Spirit continues to immolate His victims after filling them with the marvelous gifts of His grace.”

These profound words are not just mere musings, but the profound wisdom of Blessed Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus, a revered Roman Catholic priest and a dedicated member of the Discalced Carmelites. His two insightful books, I Want to See God, and I Am A Daughter of the Church, are not just books, but a beacon of wisdom from great saints and a roadmap for spiritual growth.  

According to Blessed Marie-Eugène, one way to receive the graces of Pentecost is to love the Third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit. He encourages us to listen to the divine motions of encouragement or reproach we receive from Him and to walk through the earth in the light that is poured out in our soul.

Interiorly Prepare Oneself

Another way to receive the graces of Pentecost is to interiorly prepare oneself. Blessed Marie-Eugène suggests that we should get to know the Holy Spirit, deal with Him more, and cultivate a loving and intimate friendship with Him. He reminds us, with a reassuring voice, that we are not alone. The Holy Spirit, living in our soul in grace, is giving a supernatural tone to all our thoughts, desires, and actions.

Pray Hard and Together

Blessed Marie-Eugène also emphasizes the importance of prayer and encourages us to pray hard and, when we can, together. He reminds us that the Greek word for “they devoted themselves all together in prayer” in Acts 2:1 is forceful, and that we can always emulate the graces of Pentecost by praying hard and together, united in our faith and devotion.

With these thoughts in our minds, we follow the footsteps of the great Saints and Blessed of the church by never forgetting the words of Christ, "when two or three are gathered together in My Name, I will be in their midst". These words of our Lord resonate with us whenever we gather at 3100 Weston Road, Toronto! May we always be encouraged to never lose hope, for our faith and the faith of our Fathers- our holy faith- is our driving force that renews our every thought, it is a hope that is rooted in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour!  

The Bible teaches that faith and hope go together (Hebrews 11:1). When we have faith, we have hope for the future, even in difficult circumstances. It defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is trusting in God and His promises, even when we can’t see the outcome.  It is not false hope!