Recently, I enjoyed watching Death on the Nile, a Hercule Poirot mystery in which the Belgian detective uses his keen skills to gather clues leading to the solving of a complex crime. Like all detectives who themselves did not witness the crimes they are investigating, Poirot relies on his skills of observation to gather clues leading to an irrefutable conclusion. As we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, we are reminded that we, too, must rely on our skills of observation to gather clues that lead to the irrefutable conclusion that the Holy Spirit is in our midst. We do not physically see the Holy Spirit as we would see any other person or being; however, we can observe the evidence of the presence and workings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and in the lives of others. The Church teaches us to look for the following clues of the effects of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. The majority of these fruits are traced to this famous passage from the Letter to the Galatians: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (5:22–23) In other words, we provide evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives by the way we live. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore Pentecost and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit—the clues that lead to the irrefutable conclusion that the Holy Spirit is at work!
For more information about Pentecost and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, check out the following links:
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