Pentecost Sunday

Posted on by Cassie

Just as Jesus experienced rejection, so will those who are united with Him.  Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to strengthen and sustain His followers, even when they have to suffer because of their friendship with Him.  The Holy Spirit will continue Jesus’ mission of revealing the Father.  The Spirit will “guide you to all truth” – that is enlighten the followers of Jesus to understand more than they were capable of taking in during Jesus’ public ministry.

We rightly look upon Jesus as the revelation of God to us, but we cannot understand Jesus apart from the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  If our faith was limited to what Jesus was able to convey to His followers during His relatively brief public ministry, our faith would be inadequate.

While the Holy Spirit guides every individual follower of Jesus, an accent must be placed on His guidance of the community of the Church as a whole.  It is the Holy Spirit who gives life to Church and guides it along the path of truth.

May the grace of the Holy Spirit come upon us as we continue to grow as a parish family.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Posted on by Cassie

Today’s gospel takes place at the Last Supper before Christ’s death.  Up until now, the apostles have been taught by our Lord.  But after His ascension they in turn will have to go out and teach others.

Jesus’ prayer sounds like a commencement speech: “Father, consecrate them in the truth… As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” He sent the apostles and now He sends us into the world.  For this reason we have been consecrated by our Baptism and commissioned by our Confirmation.  We have been sent to face the challenges of the future.  Each Sunday we are instructed for this work by God’s word and strengthened by the Eucharist.

During the Last Supper, Jesus expresses His confidence in His apostles.  Knowing they were weak and frail, He made a daring act of faith in their ability to proclaim His gospel.

In the same way, Jesus knows how weak we are, yet He makes a bold act of faith in us as we are sent into the world to face today’s issues and transform our universe.

What a wonderful challenge it is to be sent by Jesus to change the world and make it better.  Not to run away from the problems of poverty and oppression, but to plunge into them and improve the lot of God’s people.  Not to turn away from the world’s injustice and violence, but to turn toward them and remove them.  Not to turn our backs on its abortions and drug addiction, but to confront them and eliminate them.

Our task is not to condemn the world for its sins, but to save it; not to abandon its people, but to redeem them, not to reject its institutions, but to renew them.  It is for the magnificent task that we are sent into the world—to confront it, to influence it, and to change it for the better.

As Jesus has reminded us, our purpose in life is not merely a private affair– our own sanctification, it is also a social matter—the world’s transformation.

At the end of each Mass we are sent into the world to challenge it and to change it for the better.  If Christ believes in us,  how can we help but go out with confidence in our own unique individuality and ability?  How can we help but begin again with great eagerness to do our task.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell