Pentecost Sunday (a solemnity) marks the end of the Easter Season and celebrates the “birthday” of the Church as we note the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the be-ginning of the Church.

The story of Pentecost is found in today’s first reading (Acts 2:1-11) where we hear of the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles with tongues of fire which enabled every person in Jerusalem—whether Jew, Gentile, Arab, Parthian, Cretean, Phamphylian and others—to understand, in their own languages, these Galilean apostles proclaim the mighty deeds of God. Proving that the One, True God is the Father and Creator of all, and that all will be called to be witnesses to His Ways. The different languages of the world were translated into one language which comes from the mouth of the One God. God continues to speak to us with One Voice and it is translated into the language of Love and Compassion, which is meant to be heard in all dialects and is not inhibited by any translator. His loving Word, His commanding and nurturing ways, His compassion and mercy are meant to become our ways and our words.

Today the Church is His “home base” and we are called to declare His truths which have been consecrated in us by His Living True Word—Christ the Lord.

A little history provides perspective. Pentecost was one of three pilgrimage feasts for the Jews, when all were called to come to the Temple in Jerusalem, thus the reason for so many foreigners in the City. The “disciples would have included the apostles, Mary, the mother of Jesus, the women who journeyed with Jesus from Galilee, and His relatives.” We are told by scripture scholars that the cosmic sign of the strong driving wind attracted the large crowd. The Acts of the Apostles was originally written in Greek and the Greek word for “wind” is the same as for “spirit,” thus the connection. Interestingly also is the sign of “fire” as tongues over the apostles heads, which enables all to hear in their own native language, and is meant to enliven all as wit-nesses to the Lord. Note that our own patron saint, Catherine of Siena, reminds us that when we are authentic in our faith, the Holy Spirit will set us “ablaze to do amazing things.” Those “amazing things” are the fruit and work of the Holy Spirit in the original disciples—and now in you and me today.

Now we can consider today’s second reading (1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13) which distinguishes between the “flesh and the spirit” where the “spirit” is anything that is enlivened by God’s power and presence; the “flesh” is that which is opposed to God, thus illustrating our choices in various situations and decisions. The question is: which fruits are more evident in our lives?

In John’s Gospel today we are taken back to Jesus’ last discourse with His apostles the night before He was to be crucified. Our Lord promised His apostles and disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit as an Advocate on their behalf, the Spirit of Truth. We are supposed to see in this reading the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son—and that we are being called into that same intimate relationship to share in it with Them…all of us are called to be in that intimacy which the Father and Son share. We can receive this intimacy—being drawn into it—by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. Our role—as disciples—is to receive what the Holy Spirit declares—His Truths—through reception and right use of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit! Those seven gifts are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude/Courage, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.

“All seven gifts are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, whom Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 11:1), but they are available to all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we re-ceive a sacrament worthily.” As the current Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, "They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them."

As we also hear in today’s Gospel, John reminds us that “Jesus sends His disciples out into the world” and He prepares and fortifies us with His Holy Spirit, so that we may accomplish His work in this world. It is the laity—the body of Christ, the Church—that are supposed to transform the world by the grace of God through their words and actions. This should give any Christian (read Catholic particularly, since our Church was founded by Christ and has a direct link and lineage to Christ through His ongoing and unbroken chain of apostles, our bish-ops) the courage to recognize that we are called to make Christ’s will present in our society—and that means in the public arena, contrary to some individuals. Those who say that the Church has no right to be involved in public policy are not only wrong but are opposed to the command of Christ. (Logically speaking, why should the Church be so involved in helping society without a say in its formulation?) Disciples are called to transform the world into a holy people, sanctified by God’s grace in the sacraments, and make His natural laws the guides for all peoples. In our seven (7) sacraments, founded and instituted by Christ and handed to His church by Him for safe guarding and reverent keeping, the Body of Christ on earth may reach the potential for which God created it—so that they may attain the complete joy of Christ forever in heaven.

May our prayer this Pentecost be that the Church, speci-ficly each one who makes up the Body of Christ, may have a

rebirth of the Holy Spirit and be ablaze in the authentic life, mak-ing earth a loving place so as to prepare for each of us an eternal dwelling, not made with hands but with the power of God.

As we celebrate Pentecost this year in our parish, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation at the 11 a.m. Mass. Immediately after the homily, Keegan Rice will be con-firmed by me, with permission and delegation granted by Archbishop Mansell. Keegan, who is very involved in our parish was away during Confirmation in the spring and as his parish has a special meaning for him the archbishop has granted me (Confirmation is normally imparted by a bishop, though in certain circumstances a priest may do so with permission at the Great Easter Vigil and on Pentecost) delegation for this liturgy. We wish Keegan and all who made this sacrament in our parish this year the courage and wisdom to see the eternal importance of faith in Christ in their lives and also the power they bring to the church on earth. Best wishes to all