Celebrating Birth & Re-birth

This week I celebrate two birthdays. On June 3rd, I celebrated the day I was born. It was my day to blow out candles and eat cake. June 6th is the 37th anniversary of the day I was born again and filled with the Spirit. The poem I am posting here today is about that life changing re-birth, my very own personal Pentecost.

THE UPPER ROOM

In remembrance of Pentecost 1979—

The Upper Room Charismatic Prayer Group at the Parish Center,

St. Catherine of Bologna RC Church, Ringwood, NJ—

Father Matthew Gaskin, pastor

Here I am, Lord

at the podium in The Upper Room

reading my poems again

The Upper Room—

room of my second birth

where thirty-five years ago

after questioning Your existence

and the meaning of life

the truth of the Gospel became real to me—

Yes, it was here, in this very place

that Father Matthew delivered the prayer

for those of us who desired to be Born Again

and filled with the Holy Spirit—

a birth both spiritual and virginal

from the Seed of God alone

a prayer that changed our lives

completely and forevermore

There was no primal cry at our rebirth

but exultant cries of “Hallelujah!”

and Pentecostal utterances

No amniotic fluid

but streams of Living Water

and Second Chapter of Acts tongues of fire

that we couldn’t see with our eyes

but knew in the realm of the Spirit

were blazing above our heads

In a wonderful and mysterious way

that night and this room was reflective

of another Pentecost; another upper room

another descent of the Spirit—

somewhere in Jerusalem, 2000 years ago

We became new creations that night

like those believers of old—

burning with Light

that has not grown dim

Maude Carolan Pych