Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful,
grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations.
Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Living as a witness of Jesus Christ is a very frightening thought. When Jesus commissioned His disciples to continue His mission, He saw the fear, confusion, and, perhaps a bit of doubt that crossed their faces. That was why He was so quick to tell them that it was not going to be impossible because He was going to send them the Holy Spirit.
We know what the Spirit did for the Lord’s followers. After His ascension, they were locked away in fear. They feared, most of all, that they would be executed for being a follower of Jesus Christ. The word was out: if you did not renounce the name of Jesus, you would be put to death.
In that upper room on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down upon Mary and the Apostles. It gave to them bountiful gifts that freed them from the fear that had frozen them in place. They went outside and began to proclaim the Good News in languages that they had never even known. The Spirit was speaking through them. The Spirit gave them the courage to speak and the courage to face death for believing in Jesus Christ.
That same Spirit is available to us still this day. It pours on us in the Sacrament of Baptism and is available to us in a variety of forms. It rushes into the receptive heart in a special way when we receive our Confirmation. The Holy Spirit still gives its wondrous and bountiful gifts to those who are willing to receive them.
The Holy Spirit continues to guide and guard the Church. Today, parishioners who were scheduled to be confirmed on the Saturday of Palm Sunday weekend will finally have the chance to receive their Confirmation. Their original date was canceled because of the pandemic that closed down all gatherings over ten people. We will still have to be socially distanced but, at least, we can finally accommodate the Confirmandi in two separate Masses today.
Congratulations to those who are to be confirmed. Be receptive to the great Gifts of the Holy Spirit and allow Him into your lives this day.
FAITH ACTION: Please pray for our parishioners who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation today, that they may allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them on their way to the Kingdom.