Pentecost Sunday_28th May 2023
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As we come to the end of the Easter Season, we can rejoice that Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit. It is because of His Resurrection and Ascension that He can send the Spirit into our hearts, and He never refuses us this gift.
Jesus says that He does not leave us orphaned, and He is coming to us. He comes to us every day as we go before Him in prayer, read His Word attentively, and receive Him in the Eucharist. But the Spirit also encourages us to look forward to the time when He will come again in glory, when His Kingdom will be fully revealed and evil will be no more. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with longing for that time and help us pray for it each day.
Lord Jesus, we thank you that you have sent us your Spirit to help guide and comfort us as we try to follow you in this world. May we know your love more and more through the Spirit, and spread that love to those around us.
Amen
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Pentecost
(18th May 2023 – Holy Day of Obligation)
Happy birthday to the Catholic Church! Happy birthday to you, who are the body of the Church!
We’re all familiar with our own birthdays, and we celebrate them because they mark the day of the year in which we entered into this life. But did you know you have a second birthday?
Because you are part of the body of the Church, Pentecost is the Church’s birthday, and yours as well. And like any birthday, it’s a cause for celebration.
The word Pentecost is Greek and it means “50th day.” Fifty days after Easter Sunday, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and their followers, and the beginning of their Earthly ministry to make disciples of all nations.
Pentecost is also a Jewish holiday, which the Jews use to celebrate the end of Passover. Jews celebrate the gift of the law to Moses at Mt. Sinai on this day. But we, as Catholics celebrate the birth of our Church.
At Pentecost, the Apostles and their followers were gathered in a room. Jews from all over the world were gathered with Peter, the leader of the Apostles and the Eleven. At this time, a great wind blew and a flame appeared as a tongue of fire, which split itself into many individual flames above the heads of all those present. The Holy Spirit came upon these people and each began to speak in tongues. Despite the fact many had no common language, they were perfectly able to understand one another.
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