The Holy Spirit in Our Collaborative Parishes

Our Parishes have been blessed in so many ways because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our communities, especially through the openness of so many faith-filled parishioners like you! On Friday, May 11 at St. Martha Parish we had a beautiful celebration of one of our collaborative’s two Confirmation Masses; on Friday, June 1, we will celebrate the other at St. Mary. Each of us received the Holy Spirit at our Baptism, and when we were Confirmed. The Holy Spirit acts to fan His powerful gifts into a flame – if we are open to them. The grace of these two Sacraments never leaves us, so if you feel you haven’t been as open as possible to receiving and sharing God’s gifts in your life, let this Pentecost be the opportunity to pray for a new openness to the Holy Spirit working in and through you. I often turn back to Cardinal Seán O’Malley’s pastoral letter “A New Pentecost: Inviting All to Follow Jesus” when I need to have the Spirit re-sparked in my life. Here is an excerpt:

“Pentecost is born out of an intense experience of prayer in union with Mary and with Peter…. We remember particularly how the disciples were gathered in fear and confusion as they hid in the Upper Room. At that moment they lacked a sense of outward mission and purpose. Christ then sent the Holy Spirit to them and a great transformation occurred.
“The disciples were transformed. Courage replaced fear, as [most] of the Apostles would    ultimately die a martyr’s death. Understanding replaced confusion, and they gained a deep sense of purpose: they realized their experience of Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection was truly Good News and it needed to be shared. Their focus turned outward toward all those they were called to evangelize. They never returned to the Upper Room again!

“The disciples began living the Church’s Great Commission from Christ: ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.’ ”

Disciples in Mission, the pastoral plan for our whole Archdiocese, takes the spirit and ideas of that pastoral letter and gives them structure, purpose, and direction. Our Local Pastoral Plan for 2017-2020 in our parishes takes its subtitle from that Great Commission quote: “Go Therefore and Make Disciples” to try to capture the importance of the Holy Spirit moving us outside of ourselves to connect with – and care for – one another. Come, Holy Spirit