Father David’s Letter

Dear St. Mary Parish Family,

Happy Pentecost!!!

Do you realize that Pentecost is one of the biggest celebrations of the Church year?  Did you know that in the ranking of liturgical days it is ranked at the same level as Christmas, Epiphany, and the Ascension?  Only the Paschal Triduum (including Easter Sunday) ranks higher than Pentecost.  This should tell us all something about how the Church views the significance of this day.

And yet, who among us really celebrates Pentecost outside of participating in Mass?  Think about it.  On Easter we have gatherings, feasts, and events to celebrate the Resurrection.  Christmas of course we have all sorts of goings on to celebrate not just the day but the season.  But Pentecost?  Crickets.  Nothing.  I have yet to see anything in any store this time of year that relates to Pentecost.  I wonder if this is because we as a culture haven’t yet figured out how to commercialize Pentecost.  Easter we have bunnies and eggs and all the delicious foods we have been fasting from during Lent.  Christmas we have shopping and gifts galore.  But for Pentecost, how can one commercialize the Holy Spirit?  Sell chocolate doves?  Red velvet cakes?  (My sister actually used to make one every year as a Church “birthday” cake, which I always thought was a great idea!)  Sell giant fans or wind machines?  Super soakers?  Fire crackers?  Smoke bombs?  Ok, now maybe I’m being a little silly here.  But only a little.  Behind the silly is a serious question about why Pentecost seems in actuality to be treated like any other Sunday, and not with the solemnity and celebration that is appropriately due to it.  Even in churches it seems there is little outside of the ordinary events to highlight the solemnity of this day.  It is always my hope every year that this great 50th Day will be marked with exaltation and jubilation and festivities the way it ought to be.  Even if that hasn’t happened yet, including here at St. Mary, it is still my hope.  One day, perhaps.  One day, maybe, just maybe, we will give the Holy Spirit his due.

Consider the Holy Spirit for a moment.

The Catechism has much to teach us about the Holy Spirit.  Here is one simple but profound statement:

“The Holy Spirit, whom Christ the head pours out on his members, builds, animates, and sanctifies the Church.”  – Catechism, #747

It then goes on to say that through the action of the Holy Spirit:

“…She [the Church] is the sacrament of the Holy Trinity’s communion with men.” – Catechism, #747

I hope these words don’t just blow by us, pardon the pun.  The Holy Spirit was sent tocomplete the work of the Father and the Son in the and through the Church.  Therefore he should never be overlooked.  More than simply when we make the Sign of the Cross, let us each pledge to be more devoted and committed to giving honor and praise to God the Holy Spirit, beginning with this Pentecost Day!

Come, O Holy Spirit, Come!

Fr. David

 

 

Here is the link to Spiritual Communion and Chaplet of the Blessed Sacrament: https://www.virgosacrata.com/spiritual-communion.html

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