As we approach Pentecost this year, we have received a gift from the Holy Father, Pope Francis, by way of his Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate, Rejoice and Be Glad. These are words that remind us that our happiness comes from our relationship to God, especially through our intimate relationship to the Holy Spirit in whose power we have been baptized and confirmed, and by whose power we receive the sacraments.
WHEN I WAS in the seminary, it was stressed to us in the most definite terms that if you wanted to be able to function in the Diocese of Brooklyn as a priest in the last quarter of the 20th century and beyond, you had to learn another language. Classes would be given in Spanish and Italian, so take one, and this means you.
Just a few days ago in the Gospel we were proclaiming from the Evangelist John, we were told something that, if we were among the Apostles, would have driven us up the wall. “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear to hear it now,” Our Lord says.
Holy Spirit parish, Borough Park, is celebrating both the Blessed Mother and its feast day this month. Parish families are praying the rosary at 7 p.m. every evening, and trilingual Masses are planned for Pentecost Sunday.
LAST WEEK’S FEAST of Pentecost is a wonderful time to meditate on when we are feeling depressed. Why do I say that? Think about “eh” state of the Apostles before the coming of the Spirit. They had a lofty work to accomplish but were totally incapable of carrying it out. Jesus had said: “Go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
This past Pentecost, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver released an interesting pastoral letter entitled “Saints Among Us.”
The power of the Holy Spirit transforms people into bold witnesses of the Gospel, who reach out to others, exercise charity and live in harmony with creation, Pope Francis said.
By Father Anthony F. Raso CONVERTS TO THE Roman Catholic faith are always a great blessing to the rest of us who were baptized as babies. Whenever we get to forgetting how inspiring our faith really is, the converts will remind us well by the sound of their voices and the look in their eyes. […]
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, Each year, DeSales Media Group sponsors a celebration of World Communications Day with a conference inviting members of the Diocese to explore how they can become better communicators of their faith. This year, this day coincides with the celebration of Pentecost where the initial communication of faith was made by the Holy Spirit who set the Apostles forth.
“The Double Meaning of Pentecost” will be the subject of a Scripture study led by Father John Murray, C.Ss.R., in the rectory of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish, Sunset Park, on Friday, May 22. All are welcome to attend the study session, which will begin promptly at 11 a.m. Participants are asked to bring […]
