My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, the birth of the Church. This feast day is a wonderful reminder of the great need we have of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity. “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”
It is important to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who opens our understanding of God’s Word and that guides our Church. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the courage to be disciples of the Lord. For this reason, it is important to develop our relationship with Him and ask for the gifts of the Spirit (wisdom, understanding, fear of the Lord, piety, counsel, knowledge, fortitude), especially for the one that we might need the most in this particular time of our lives.
One way to do this is to learn some prayers in which we address the Holy Spirit directly. On our “Breaking Bread” missal you will find the prayer “Come, O Holy Spirit, come” (Veni Sancte Spiritus). I invite you to learn that prayer or to include it as part of your daily prayers.
Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth!
Fr. Cesar Valencia, P.E.S