Dear Friends in Christ,
Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the Birthday of the Church. On that first day, when the promised Holy Spirit was sent to the Apostle; their lives were filled with the total presence of God. The Holy Spirit inspired them; gave them courage and strength to embark upon the work the Lord had prepared them for – to go out into the whole world and proclaim the Good News. Their lives would never be the same again. Strengthened and inspired by the Resurrection of Jesus, they now had all the tools they needed to continue his work in the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. And to this day that mandate has faithfully been carried out. There have always been hurdles and difficulties along the way, but the Church has always risen to the challenge. In these difficult times of Pandemic, our faith has certainly been tested, perhaps in a way that it has never been tested before. We now have a completely different mindset; we are going to have to adjust to a new way of life and living, and it affects all of us!
GOPEL REFELCTION:
On that first day of Resurrection, Jesus appears to his friends and extends the gift of Peace. They are overawed by his presence, almost incredulous. He shows his wounds, and they are filled with Joy. Then he breathes on them and gives them the Gift of the Holy Spirit – the eternal gift that he had promised them at the Last Supper. The Apostles work must now begin. Jesus will be with them until the end of the age; as he is with us and his Church. Let us thank God for the gift of our faith & the gift of the Spirit.
St Edmund of Canterbury 