“We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and given of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets” (from the Nicene Creed). The Solemnity of Pentecost which we celebrate today reminds us of the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise to send us help on our
journey of faith: “I will send you my Advocate, the Spirit of truth, who will teach you all truth”. The Holy Spirit was given to the Church at Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus, and 10 days after the ascension of Jesus, when the apostles along with Mary were hiding in the upper room in fear for their lives. Once the Holy Spirit descended upon them through the signs of a rushing wind and flames of fire, the apostles were transformed. They were no longer afraid, but rather, rushed to preach the good news of Jesus Christ in the midst of persecution and the possibility of martyrdom. Once the apostles received the Holy Spirit their peace and joy could not be extinguished any longer. The Holy Spirit continues the work of Jesus in the Church by making God present in our world even today. The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy, to help us, to defend us, and to journey with us. There may be moments in our lives when we feel alone, or afraid, or unworthy, or angry, or frustrated, etc. These are normal feelings, but they are not what God desires for us. God desires to remove these from us through a life of faith, and that is faith in the Spirit of God. When I prepare our younger parishioners for the Sacrament of Confirmation I remind them that they are more than just physical beings, but that they also have a spiritual life in them. It is our spiritual life that allows us to experience the joy, peace, love, beauty, and hope. The Holy Spirit comes to each one of us when we begin to recognize that we are more than just our bodies, and that we are created for more than just the physical world. We are made to love, to feel, to forgive; we are made to live in the Spirit of God already here on earth. Take some time this weekend to pray to the Holy Spirit, to renew your relationship with Him, to invite Him into your life, and to experience the beauty of life which is found in the gift of the Holy Spirit.
On Friday, May 25, our younger parishioners will be celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Mary’s Church in Owen Sound. Bishop Douglas Crosby will come to confer this sacrament on our youth. You are welcome to join us for Mass with our Bishop at 7pm.
Last weekend was the celebration of First Communion for parishioners who are in Grade 2. Thirty eight young people made their First Communion this year, and I want to congratulate them and their families on this very special occasion. Let’s pray for them.
Please remember to pray for all priests of our diocese who will be making their annual retreat over the next two weeks. The retreat will be at the Carmelite Monastery in Niagara Falls. Fr. Emmanuel will be away at the retreat this coming week, and Fr. James and I will be away the following week. Please pray for us and we will pray for you.
Fr. Wojtek Kuzma