June 8, 2025 - Pentecost Sunday
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Today, we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost—the birthday of the Church, the day the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the apostles, and the mission of Christ was ignited in the world. It is a day of wind, fire, and language—a divine disruption that brings about divine unity. The Gospel takes us back to the evening of Easter Sunday. The apostles are locked away in fear. They have heard the news of the Resurrection, but they have not yet experienced its power. They are paralyzed, unsure of what comes next. And then Jesus appears: “Peace be with you.” He shows them His wounds—not to shame or frighten, but to confirm that love has triumphed over death. And then He breathes on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This breath—this Spirit—is not just air. It is the new life of God. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters of creation now enters into the hearts of disciples to recreate the world through them. Their fear is not dismissed—it is transformed. They will still face persecution, rejection, and even martyrdom. But now they face it with boldness born of the Spirit.
Are we locked away in fear? Fear of the future, of suffering, of what faith might demand of us? Pentecost is God’s answer: the breath of Christ, breathing new courage into our hearts. St. Paul tells us that “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” The Spirit doesn’t only come to priests or saints. Every baptized person is a temple of the Holy Spirit. This means that you—yes, you—have a spiritual gift. It might not be loud or dramatic. It may be hidden in acts of patience, generosity, listening, or wisdom. But it is real. And it is needed.
The Church is not uniform, but united. There is diversity of gifts—tongues and prophecy, teaching and healing, administration and service—but one Spirit. Pentecost does not flatten differences; it transfigures them into harmony. What gift has the Spirit planted in you? And how is the Church being held back because it remains unused? The reading from Acts is dramatic: wind, fire, and a miracle of speech. The apostles go out into the streets of Jerusalem and begin proclaiming the mighty works of God—not in one language, but in many. And the people are amazed: “Each one heard them speaking in his own language.”
The Spirit doesn’t erase culture; it enters it. The Gospel is not tied to Hebrew or Greek or Latin. It is translated again and again into the hearts of every nation, tribe, and people. God speaks your language. In a world fractured by misunderstanding, division, and tribalism, Pentecost reveals a new humanity where language no longer separates but connects. Pentecost is not just an event—it is a mission. The same Spirit who came down on Mary and the apostles is given to us in Baptism and Confirmation. If we think of the Spirit as only a gentle dove, we forget that He also comes as wind and fire. He is here to shake us out of apathy, to burn away our selfishness, and to send us out into the world.
So, let us open our hearts again: Where there is fear, let the Spirit bring peace. Where there is silence, let the Spirit bring witness. Where there is division, let the Spirit bring communion. Where there is weariness, let the Spirit bring power. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth—starting with us. God bless everyone always!!!
Fr. Stan
Today, we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost—the birthday of the Church, the day the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the apostles, and the mission of Christ was ignited in the world. It is a day of wind, fire, and language—a divine disruption that brings about divine unity. The Gospel takes us back to the evening of Easter Sunday. The apostles are locked away in fear. They have heard the news of the Resurrection, but they have not yet experienced its power. They are paralyzed, unsure of what comes next. And then Jesus appears: “Peace be with you.” He shows them His wounds—not to shame or frighten, but to confirm that love has triumphed over death. And then He breathes on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This breath—this Spirit—is not just air. It is the new life of God. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters of creation now enters into the hearts of disciples to recreate the world through them. Their fear is not dismissed—it is transformed. They will still face persecution, rejection, and even martyrdom. But now they face it with boldness born of the Spirit.
Are we locked away in fear? Fear of the future, of suffering, of what faith might demand of us? Pentecost is God’s answer: the breath of Christ, breathing new courage into our hearts. St. Paul tells us that “to each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” The Spirit doesn’t only come to priests or saints. Every baptized person is a temple of the Holy Spirit. This means that you—yes, you—have a spiritual gift. It might not be loud or dramatic. It may be hidden in acts of patience, generosity, listening, or wisdom. But it is real. And it is needed.
The Church is not uniform, but united. There is diversity of gifts—tongues and prophecy, teaching and healing, administration and service—but one Spirit. Pentecost does not flatten differences; it transfigures them into harmony. What gift has the Spirit planted in you? And how is the Church being held back because it remains unused? The reading from Acts is dramatic: wind, fire, and a miracle of speech. The apostles go out into the streets of Jerusalem and begin proclaiming the mighty works of God—not in one language, but in many. And the people are amazed: “Each one heard them speaking in his own language.”
The Spirit doesn’t erase culture; it enters it. The Gospel is not tied to Hebrew or Greek or Latin. It is translated again and again into the hearts of every nation, tribe, and people. God speaks your language. In a world fractured by misunderstanding, division, and tribalism, Pentecost reveals a new humanity where language no longer separates but connects. Pentecost is not just an event—it is a mission. The same Spirit who came down on Mary and the apostles is given to us in Baptism and Confirmation. If we think of the Spirit as only a gentle dove, we forget that He also comes as wind and fire. He is here to shake us out of apathy, to burn away our selfishness, and to send us out into the world.
So, let us open our hearts again: Where there is fear, let the Spirit bring peace. Where there is silence, let the Spirit bring witness. Where there is division, let the Spirit bring communion. Where there is weariness, let the Spirit bring power. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth—starting with us. God bless everyone always!!!
