From The Bishop

This Sunday the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Pentecost. In the Gospel of St. John, our Lord sends the disciples out into the world and then breathes on them bestowing the gift of the Holy Spirit. The order of these two actions is significant. Jesus gives the gift of the Holy Spirit after He has sent forth his disciples. This fact teaches us that the Holy Spirit is essential for a successful mission.  Without the Holy Spirit there is no mission. In the Sacrament of Baptism we received both our mission and the Holy Spirit. At Confirmation the Holy Spirit offered seven gifts to strengthen us in that mission. What is our mission? The refrain from the Responsorial Psalm offers an answer: “Lord, send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth”. Our mission is, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, to bring spiritual renewal to our lives, parishes, and to our world. In the Gospel we are told that on the day of Pentecost the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews. In the spiritual life we may not be open to allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. We can keep the ‘door’ of our hearts and minds locked. We need to be receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Pope Francis, in his most recent Apostolic Exhortation, "Gaudete et Exsultate" (Rejoice and Be Glad) writes about the meaning of holiness and the importance of the Holy Spirit. "We need the Spirit's prompting, lest we be paralyzed by fear and excessive caution, lest we grow used to keeping within safe bounds. Let us remember that closed spaces grow musty and unhealthy"(133). We do not want our hearts or lives to be closed spaces that are “musty and unhealthy”. We need the refreshing wind of the Spirit to breathe new life into us so that we can be faithful to our mission. “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”