Thanks Sis, for looking up “mayday”. Now I know what to write about!
So it turns out that the word mayday is not derived from the name of the month. According to Wikipedia, mayday comes from the French venez m’aider meaning come to my aid. And that is timely information. We will be celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in just four days. It is the Holy Spirit—Whom the Church especially longs for during these days—Who comes to my aid. Come to my aid is a petition best directed to him.
Come Holy Spirit!
It is to our aid that He comes. Paraklētos (paraclete) is how Jesus is recorded to have described Him. The Koine Greek word is sometimes translated as Counselor or Helper:
And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever,
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you- John 14:16-17
O God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me!
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.
– Romans 8:26
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are for our help,
the charisms of the Holy Spirit are for upbuilding of the Church. The seven gifts are:
Wisdom —
help to correctly judge the things of God
Understanding —
help to be able to grasp truth, the truths of faith, and to have a spiritual vision
Knowledge —
help to see God reflected in created things and to desire him above all
Piety —
help to live as children of God with tender and filial confidence in Our Father and to embrace joyfully everything that pertains to his service
Fear of the Lord —
help to have sovereign respect for God and to have a loving fear of offending Him in any way
Fortitude —
help to face all obstacles with Christ-like courage, spiritual strength
Counsel —
help and guidance to choose correctly what path we should take in all practical matters
The Holy Spirit then is Power with a capital P!
40 days after the Resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven to take His throne at the right hand of the Father. Before He does ascend, Jesus tells them to wait in Jerusalem, “until you are clothed with power from on high”. He dwells in all the baptized and wishes to blaze in all hearts!
He’s the Gift that keeps on giving. Come Holy Ghost! Come with thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which thou hast made! I need all the Help i can get!
Holy Spirit come with your power!