Pentecost Sunday, 27-28 May 2023
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HS
JMJ
Dear Fellow Saints-in-the-Making,
Joyful greetings in Jesus Christ Who sends the Holy Spirit!
The Church celebrates her birthday on the Solemnity of Pentecost, when huddled, fearful, and divided disciples of Jesus are inflamed with zeal, courage, and joy by the Holy Spirit as in unison they proclaim the Love Who is Jesus Christ the Risen Savior and Lord to the multitudes, each of them wondrously understanding these chosen ones of Jesus in their own native tongue.
As with any birthday celebration, there are gifts for the Church’s birthday (and truly, everyday). These Gifts, however, are given to the Church, that is, to the People of God Who form the Body of Christ; they are given in abundance by the Holy Spirit; and they are meant to be given in turn by using them for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
These Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. Explanations of the Gifts may be found in your copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. These Gifts are given to us by the Holy Spirit to grow as Spirit-filled and faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
Though they are particularly given to us at our Confirmation, they are not intended to be stagnant; to use them appropriately and effectively, we must continually ask for them to be increased in us. We cannot, for example, intend to become a heavyweight champion by going to the gym and lifting a five pound weight only once. We must work daily at the discipline of building muscle. So, too, we must work daily at the discipline of building the greatest muscle of our faith and our will: the human heart.
Ask the Holy Spirit to inflame your heart increasingly with His Sevenfold Gifts so that you might champion Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations as you are sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
***Monday, May 29, is Memorial Day. Please remember our service women and men who gave their lives out of dutiful and selfless service to our country to protect our precious liberties and freedom, which so very many in our world do not have. We will remember them at Mass at 9AM on Monday. Please note the time, as it is different from our regularly-scheduled daily Masses.
***Bishop Koenig has invited St. Jude the Apostle to welcome one of our diocesan seminarians, James Kimmel, to spend the Summer in formation with our parish family. This is a privileged opportunity for us to help James grow in his discernment of a vocation to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. He begins his Summer assignment with us on May 31 and concludes it on August 5. We will welcome him after all Masses the weekend of June 3-4, when we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity. Should all continue smoothly and well, James will, please God, be ordained a Priest for the Diocese of Wilmington in 2027. We pray that God will bring to completion in James what His loving Grace has begun.
***During these years of Eucharistic Revival, please join our parish family for a Corpus Christi Procession around the parish campus on June 11 after the 10:30am Mass as we follow our Eucharistic Lord on the grounds of our campus, representing our faithfully following our Lord on our pilgrimage to Heaven.
A blessed Memorial Day to all but, even more importantly, a GLORIOUS PENTECOST! Though the Easter Season officially closes with today’s Solemnity, the work of charity and evangelization have just begun. COME, HOLY SPIRIT! COME!
God love you!
I do.
Fr. Lewis
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Jesus must increase; I must decrease. John 3:30