A new Pentecost

Pastoral Notes

A new Pentecost

Pentecost, which we celebrate today, is the end of the Easter period and beginning of the Ordinary Time.   During the Easter season, we have come to appreciate the meaning of Christ’s resurrection in our lives, the meaning of our personal relationship with Jesus and with one another as a community.  Hopefully, we continue to understand the meaning of our mission as Church.  We continue to appreciate powerful gifts inherent in Christ’s resurrection.  And with Pentecost, we are founded as church, equipped with the powerful gifts of the Spirit.

As we re-visit our Eucharistic celebration after a period of cancelled community Masses, we are invited to reflect on our sense of  being church in terms of how we proceed to strengthen community.  It is important to have in mind the needs of others and how we respond to those needs with the abundance of God’s graces in our respective lives. The spirit of giving, more than that of receiving, has to permeate our relationships as a church community.  Volunteering is a powerful expression of this spirit of giving.

We pray for new Pentecost. In the midst of this pandemic, let us be wounded healers in a wounded world. Let us be witnesses of God’s presence to others.  With the Spirit in our hearts, let us renew the face of this earth with our love and generosity.

Let us pray for a new Pentecost. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts by breaking the barriers that divide us. Pentecost calls us to minister to one another TOGETHER. Let us be more appreciative of the unity that the Spirit has gifted us in the midst of our diverse and different talents God has bestowed on our members and leaders.  The celebration of Pentecost is about proclaiming the unity in diversity that characterizes our becoming church.

On this Pentecost, the Spirit calls us to become a people of hope and courage.  We ask God for everything we need to go through this fearful period of our lifetimes.

In the wake of our resumption of our community Masses, let us courageously approach Jesus in the Eucharist who says to us “Peace be with you!”

 

Healing Corner. “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) In a time of increasing violence in our homes and world let us not miss the “signs” of those who need our help. The signs may not be physically visible. Victims of domestic and family abuse are wounded in so many ways. Get to know your Church and community neighbors. Be there to support and refer them for help when they need it. Actively pass on the “signs of peace”.