June 4, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

Before ascending into heaven, Jesus asked his disciples to remain in Jerusalem and await the coming of the Holy Spirit. This they did, and today we hear an account of that powerful day when the Holy Spirit descended upon those first disciples. With a noise like a strong driving wind, and tongues as off fire that came from the sky, the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples and gave birth to the missionary Church. This Church would go forth to the ends of the earth proclaiming that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, through whom God   offers us salvation and forgiveness of sins. From this day forward, the Apostles would go on to courageously and boldly preach the Good News, no longer afraid they might be arrested or executed for their efforts. 

And because those first Apostles responded to the working of the Spirit within them, the Church grew. And because of the response of countless Christians over the ages, the faith has been handed on from generation to generation, making it possible for us to gather today to hear this message of salvation, to celebrate the liturgy, to receive our Lord in the Eucharist. 

And today, it rests on our shoulders to respond to the promptings of the Spirit in our lives and contribute our part in the building up of the kingdom of God. Lest we feel inadequate or not up to the task, Paul reminds us that we have all received the same Spirit the Apostles received. At our baptism, we received that same Holy Spirit who filled those first Apostles with seemingly superhuman courage and zeal for the Gospel. At confirmation, we received the fullness of the gifts of the Spirit to better equip us to fulfill the particular service to which we are called. 

And when we think about that service, let us remember that we are not just talking about work and volunteering at the parish and helping our loved ones and neighbors in need. We are talking about all those things but insofar as they are oriented toward the spiritual, as a means through which the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and can bring about the sanctification of others. What does this mean, what does it look like? 

Consider a youth coach. The kids being coached should learn the rules of the sport, learn and practice the skills necessary to play, and should play and hopefully improve. But if we are coaching in the Spirit, allowing the Spirit to work in and through us for our sanctification and the sanctification of those kids, much more will be happening. We might be growing in patience, sacrificial love, self-control, and generosity; we might experience joy and that inner peace that are some of the fruits of the Spirit. 

So, on this day of Pentecost, let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and transform us so that all we do may be oriented to our sanctification and for the benefit of those around us. 

God Love Ya,
Fr. Reilly