Happy Pentecost!

Happy Pentecost! Today we celebrate the wonderful feast of the coming of the Holy Spirit! St. Luke gives us a dramatic picture of this event: "The Spirit came upon the apostles with a strong driving wind and with tongues as of fire." (Acts 2:2-3)


Today we celebrate the "Birthday of the Church!" The apostles were hiding behind locked doors. That was their comfort zone. And in there, they felt safe, secure and supported. Jesus appeared to them there and his first message was "Peace" and then he gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages. The gift of the Holy Spirit transforms them then and there, from being cowards to being courageous. And we know the story; they went out to proclaiming the message of the gospel, to all people in their own language according to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.


Since the event of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is continuously acting more actively in the world, in each believer and in the Church. The same Holy Spirit is dwelling within each one of us today, empowering us and encouraging us to get out of our comfort zones and proclaim the message of peace to all people. When you go out today just give a genuine smile to a stranger you meet along the way. This is the message of Pentecost to embrace the Holy Spirit, to open ourselves to become the temple of the Holy Spirit, where peace, love and joy reside. May peace fill our hearts, our homes and our universe.

Sr. Pat