This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. Originally, this Jewish feast was celebrated in thanksgiving for the first fruits of the wheat harvest. In the New Testament, Pentecost marks the beginning of the new Church, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the first apostles and they were filled with the various gifts of the Spirit to carry on the mission of Jesus Christ. It was this indwelling spirit that transformed their ordinary lives to do such extraordinary things like healings, preaching, evangelizing, celebrating the sacraments that Jesus himself initiated, and even sacrificing their lives in martyrdom for our Christian faith.
Today we also celebrate our young high school graduates as they enter a new beginning of their lives. We pray that the Holy Spirit that you received at your Confirmation continue to guide you and empower you as you grow throughout your faith journey.
Pentecost is a reminder to all of us to be good stewards of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and to commit ourselves to the will of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, just as the first apostles and all the saints throughout the ages.
Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
God bless,
Deacon John