June 10th, 2022

PENTECOST This Sunday we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the universal Church, when the Holy Spirit bestowed wonderful gifts upon his disciples. I have seen those gifts wonderfully manifested in you as disciples of the Lord. And one of the things that has really built up our parish of Holy Innocents over the years is the wonderful generosity of parishioners like you sharing your gifts and talents. We would not be able to do what we do and spread the Gospel effectively without your willingness to serve. Each of us, as baptized members of the Church, is a part of the Mystical Body of Christ. St. Paul tells us that this body is made up of many members with different gifts which are essential to the functioning of the Body of Christ. Put simply, our Church, our Parish, would not be here if generation after generation had not responded to the call of the Lord Jesus to serve. First of all, I want to thank all of you who have served or continue to serve in so many ministries so selflessly and generously over the years. If you are new to the parish, we are delighted to have you here, and especially need your gifts and help. We invite you to serve in some of the many ministries. We are grateful for your help! St. Paul tells us that, “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” I have found that to be so true in my ministry. Everyone really does have something to give, whether that is prayer for the Church at home, teaching the faith to their children, or an active ministry at the Church, or something else in the community. On this Feast of Pentecost, as we begin to emerge from the pandemic, I invite you to prayerfully reflect on how God is calling you to use your gifts. I am constantly amazed at the stories that parishioners tell me about how their ministry and service has touched them and changed them and enriched their lives. If you haven’t been involved in a ministry here at Holy Innocents, I really want to invite you to guide you in discerning a way to use your gifts as the service of the Church and the larger community. Even more today, this world needs the witness, presence and action of us, as believers, cooperating with God’s grace to further God’s kingdom. We need your gifts and talents to tell the good news and to serve God’s people. In the coming months we will be calling upon your help in many ways. I invite you to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Let us open our hearts and respond with the same kind of yes, faith and trust of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thank you again for all you do to build up our parish and our Church in such wonderful ways! You are a great blessing. I am so very grateful for your service, your generous spirit and most of all your prayers. A WORD FROM POPE FRANCIS ON THE HOLY SPIRIT AS COMFORTER “When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send to you from the Father…” (Jn 15:26). With these words, Jesus promises to send his disciples the Holy Spirit, the ultimate gift, the gift of gifts. He uses an unusual and mysterious word to describe the Spirit: Paraclete… The Paraclete is the Comforter. All of us, particularly at times of difficulty like those we are presently experiencing due to the pandemic, look for consolation. Often, though, we turn only to earthly comforts, ephemeral comforts that quickly fade. Today, Jesus offers us heavenly comfort, the Holy Spirit, who is “of comforters the best” (Sequence). What is the difference? The comforts of the world are like a pain reliever: they can give momentary relief, but not cure the illness we carry deep within. They can soothe us, but not heal us at the core. They work on the surface, on the level of the senses, but hardly touch our hearts. Only someone who makes us feel loved for who we are can give peace to our hearts. The Holy Spirit, the love of God, does precisely that. He comes down within us; as the Spirit, he acts in our spirit. He comes down “within the heart”, as “the soul’s most welcome guest” (ibid). He is the very love of God, who does not abandon us; for being present to those who are alone is itself a source of comfort. POPE FRANCIS Happy Pentecost and blessings on your week! Fr. Johnson