Fr. R. DeGrandis S.S.J.
1932-2018
"What is prophecy?
My answer would be
that prophecy is the forthtelling
of the mind of God...
Indeed, prophecy is a gift
of the Spirit
to reveal the mind of God,
the depths of God
here and now...
Prophecy is normal
in the everyday life of a Christian
and...leads or can lead one
to holiness."
The Gift of Prophecy, pages 9, 10, 11
Linda - Sunday June 5, 2022 - Pentecost - The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was an almost unbelievable gift of grace. Moses had longed for it (Numbers 11:29), Joel had prophesied it, (Joel 3) and St. Peter confirmed its arrival (Acts 2:17-20). This anointing of the Holy Spirit was meant for all of mankind and one of its most coveted gifts is the gift of prophecy. When the people of God prophesy and reveal the mind and heart of God to one other, this brings great blessings of revelation, guidance, healing and wisdom upon our families, our loved ones, our neighbours and ultimately our nation. When we read from the prophets in the Old Testament, it's very clear that when the people of God are living godly lives, the spirit of prophecy is alive and well and that the Lord is blessing His people with heavenly revelation given through chosen vessels, such as the prophets. God guarantees this kind of revelation, as we read in Hosea 12:10-11:
But I have been Yahweh your God since your days in Egypt...
I will speak through prophets, I will give vision after vision
and through the ministry of prophets, will speak in parables.
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But, since the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost over 2,000 years ago, the gift of prophecy is now accessible to everyone, not just to certain chosen vessels as in the Old Testament. The Catechism states that, "By baptism, they [the baptized] share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission." (1268). As Fr. DeGrandis reminds us in the text above, prophecy is normal and should be part and parcel of every Christian's life. All of us are free to ask the Holy Spirit to anoint us in any way He chooses, but how wonderful it would be if all of us moved more powerfully in the gift of prophecy. Our witness would be strengthened and emboldened and we would become greater agents of change in our generation.
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Revelation 19:10
The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
(The Greek word for prophecy is propheteia which means "to declare, to predict, to foretell")