Tag Archives: The Feast of Pentecost

The Feast of Pentecost

Homilies,

The phrase, “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,” that we heard in the Acts of the Apostles today, might well sum up today’s Feast.  But there is more…

Pope Francis recently shared that Pentecost brought three things to the waiting community: newness, harmony and mission.

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is unity – harmony.  This does not mean we all think and say and do the same thing the same way, rather the unity, the harmony, that is of the Spirit brings the community together.  A community that grows in being the “Body of Christ.”

The Church communities of yesterday and tomorrow, as well as today, need always to work for unity and harmony and peace.

Being a member of the Body of Christ, being a member of your Church, means we are all called to contribute to the well being of the Church – universal and local – and to the well being of the Body of Christ.

How can we do this?

In a flyer published by The National Pastoral Life Center some years back they mentioned many, but I will share only a few, of the spirit driven things we can all do:

  • Welcome others, including the stranger, the visitor to the Parish, as you would to your own home.
  • Pray to see the face of Jesus in each and every Parishioner and every person we meet outside of Mass.
  • Sit beside the mother with small children at Mass, ready to offer assistance, if necessary.
  • Consider seriously any invitation to serve as a teacher, God Parent,  Sponsor or Mentor.
  • Let absent Parishioners know that you miss seeing them.  Inquire about their health and offer to update them on any Parish news or events they may have missed.  (Notice it does not say: gossip)
  • Support the Parish financially.
  • Seriously, prayerfully consider being a Catechist, an At Mass Minister, a Member of a Parish Committee…
  • Recognize and affirm the gifts of others, encouraging them to share in the Church’s Ministry to the community at large.
  • Pray for Parishioners, including the sick and the deceased.
  • Encourage activities, in addition to Mass, that build up the community of Faith and nurture friendships.
  • Be more accepting and more forgiving.
  • Expect and be open to change.

And so today we pray, “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your Faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.”  In our lives as Person, Families and Parish, now and forever and ever.   Amen!

The Feast of Pentecost

Homilies,

Scripture Readings:     Acts 2:1-11     Galatians 5:16-25     John 15:26-27, 16:12-15

There was a Daily Reflection video that came to me via the internet in the past few days in which the Speaker asked,  “What if God… what if the Holy Spirit really showed up in our life, our life as a family, our life as a parish, our life as a global church?”

And, if this happened, what would our world look like?

Some answers to the question:

  • Things would be different!
  • Things would be Better!
  • People would feel better!
  • People would be more Helpful!
  • Acts of kindness, love, forgiveness would increase!
  • People would be happier!
  • The needs of people would be decreased!
  • The generosity of people would increase!

And I am sure each of us could add to the short list I share today.

You know, the Holy Spirit reminds us – the Disciples of 2015 – of everything that Jesus said and did.  But, it does not stop there, rather the Holy Spirit “calls us, invites us,” to imitate Jesus by what we say and what we do.

Often, FEAR gets in our way when it comes to sharing the Spirit of God with others in our lives.  We might fear what others will think, that we are “holier than thou;” or they will distance themselves from us; or we are forcing our beliefs on them; or we fear we will be misunderstood.

Like the two southern ministers, who together were putting up a road sign that said, “Turn around, the end is near, do it now!”  With that, a car drove by and the driver yelled out, “You religious nuts!”  As the car drove out a sight, a crash was heard.  To which one minister said to the other, “do you think we should have just made a sign that said:  Bridge Out?”

On this Feast of Pentecost, The Holy Spirit empowers us to get out of our comfort zones with lives that allow for the answer to the question we ask today:  “What if God… what if the Holy Spirit really showed up in our life, our life as a family, our life as a parish, our life as a global church?”  To be seen in our lives as person, family, Parish and Church… more and more and more…

  • Things would be different!
  • Things would be Better!
  • People would feel better!
  • People would be more Helpful!
  • Acts of kindness, love, forgiveness would increase!
  • People would be happier!
  • The needs of people would be decreased!
  • The generosity of people would increase!

May we experience the power of the Holy Spirit in today’s world, because more and more people say YES to being Faithful Disciples that allow the Church of Jesus Christ to be born in our time, here on earth as it is in heaven.