Today, we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. As a Church we celebrate and remember that day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, inspired the apostles to proclaim the Good News, and began the Church. At Confirmation we we bring men and women into full communion of the Catholic Church. The prayer of consecration invokes the Spirit to send out the traditional gifts upon the individual. Inspired by this same spirit the person takes their place at the Eucharistic table, prepared to profess faith in word and in deed. Sadly, today, many see the sacrament more as graduation from a religious program rather than as an invitation to do ministry.
Throughout our scriptural history we see the transformation that occurs through the power of the Holy Spirit. The prophets and holy men and women are able to stand for truth, often as advocates for justice and the poor, against every sort of evil. Whether it be the three young men in the fiery furnace, Amos, or Jeremiah, the Holy Spirit gives strength and courage against all types of evil and pain.
We see how the Spirit helps us discern and keeps us connected to God's holy will. We look at people like Francis of Assisi, or even Frances Cabrini, and realize that the holy Spirit moved these people to make some very crucial decisions in their lives, but offered them the peace and calm so as to make good solid choices. In the same way the Holy Spirit moved these individuals to stay close to the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit renews the whole world and reveals to us the meaning of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We should always pray to the Holy Spirit for ourselves, the Church, and the world. The Holy Spirit can and does help us recognize God's hand in the Church, and prompts us to use our gifts to proclaim 'Good News.' We hope and trust that the Holy Spirit unites us in a communion with God and the Church.
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