From the Pastor - Pentecost
Today is Pentecost Sunday, the 50th day after Easter (counting both Easter Sunday and today). Pentecost is often called “the birthday of the Church.” As we hear in Holy Scripture, today is the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’ followers, and with that Jesus’ mission on earth was completed.
Jesus calls His followers and literally all of us to be missionaries. The Latin root word for “missionary” is derived from the original Greek word apostolos, which meant “one sent forth.” Obviously, we get the word “apostle” from that as well. It is further defined as one who attempts to persuade or convert. It involves the “apostle” or “disciple” working outside of the community.
When Jesus spoke these words, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” That includes each and every one of us. We, too, are sent. Many times, we have reiterated that being sent means that we live out our Catholic faith in everything we do. That is the best way to evangelize, to let those around us know what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Christ and His disciple.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops made the following statement about what it means to evangelize: “Here, there are two elements of evangelization at work: 1. Witness, which is the simple living out of the faith; 2. Sharing, which is spreading the Good News of Jesus.” Do we follow the admonitions given us by the Lord? Are we examples of what it means to be a Catholic and Christian? Do we truly share the Good News? © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2018
Pastoral Pondering –Last week, I indicated that I would begin discussing aspects of what it means to be a practicing Catholic. However, due to the rapid change in CDC guidelines, allow me to address that today. Although there was an expectation of the relaxation of restrictions after June 1st, we were all caught by surprise when the CDC modified its guidance leading the state and the Diocese to do the same. With that being said, we know that even though the obligation to attend Mass returns this weekend, there are still those who continue to be more fragile in terms of their health. As we move forward, we will continue to look for ways to accommodate those concerns without limiting the capacity to get back to some normalcy.
We celebrate today the coming of the Holy Spirit; an event that vivified the fledgling Church and led the apostles and disciples to become a machine of evangelization. I believe we need some of that Holy Spirit power here in the present. We certainly believe and trust that the Holy Spirit guides the Church, and it’s important that we be attentive to the Spirit’s prompting. Nevertheless, we have to remember that the Lord expects us to step up and be evangelizers as well; especially to those who continue to be hesitant about coming back to Mass. Every one of us should try to invite someone else to come to Mass with us, especially if you know of a parishioner who could use the invitation.
We’ve seen an abiding spirit of fear over the course of this past year. The various “voices” that were at center stage did a good job taking advantage of this. At the same time, because of a large number of transplants from up north, we have many families that have lost someone to COVID since it began. Our world has been turned upside down. And we all need encouragement and a spirit of welcome to overcome the darkness.
In all things, we trust the Lord, and we know that no matter what, He is holding us and sustaining us with His grace. We’ve been extremely blessed over the course of this past year in that we kept moving and doing all that we could to be Christ for others. Now, we need to redouble our efforts and look forward with faith, hope and trust.
I will return to our ongoing topic in next week’s column. Have a Blessed week.