May 28, 2023

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today our Catholic Church celebrates Pentecost Sunday -- the commemoration of the Holy Spirit descending on the 12 apostles, inspiring them to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ with all people throughout the world. This Spirit-derived gift of evangelization is precisely why Pentecost is referred to as the birthday of the Church – for on that day, Jesus’ message began its global-wide dissemination.

It’s ironic, then, that despite our contemporary means to instantly communicate messages to any corner of the globe via social media, God’s voice is harder than ever to hear. We are simply inundated with too much “noise,” thanks to smartphones, e-mail, and TikTok videos. But this is where the Holy Spirit can help us. He remains in the wind that touches our skin and the warmth of the sun on our faces and hands. He is in the voices of our spiritual mentors. He wishes to inspire us – but only if we keep our hearts open and our souls pure. As Fr. Victor Cancino, S.J. so aptly put it in his reflection on Pentecost published May 24 in America magazine,  “We must listen to each other to hear the sound of the Spirit.” 

As we end our Easter season tomorrow and return to Ordinary Time, I pray you will give yourselves time, space, and solitude to let the Holy Spirit come alive in you. We are overjoyed that 37 of our parish’s teens received the gifts of the Holy Spirit at their Confirmation this past Tuesday, but the Holy Spirit already resides in each of us who have been baptized. He is alive in us, he wants to bring us closer with God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son. 

Let the Holy Spirit do his work in you. Let him enkindle the fire of faith that lives in each of us!

I wish you all a blessed and wonderful week. This Memorial Day, may God bless all U.S. military men and women, who have sacrificed their lives in service to our country.  May their family members feel God’s solace and peace. 

Yours in Christ, 

Fr. John