Fr. Simon's Letter - June 5, 2022

Harvest time is a joyful time for farmers. They work hard to prepare the soil, to plant the seed, to water and to clear weeds. In ancient Israel, harvest time traditionally was a joyous time for giving thanks and presenting offerings of the new grain to God. It was called Pentecost, a festive time for expressing thanks to the Lord. 

The feast of Pentecost which we celebrate today reminds us of the event when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was a joyful time for the apostles, harvesting what Jesus had promised before ascending to heaven. The Holy Spirit moves the apostles to proclaim ‘Jesus is Lord.’ 

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus prepared his apostles for this anointing with power and authority by the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, Jesus lifted them up in the faith and joy that he had planted in their hearts. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the apostles could go out and tell others about the Person of Jesus Christ, his lordship and his glory. 

As Jesus’ disciples, we should experience the same joy of spirit when we celebrate Pentecost. It is a festival of joy because God makes the seed of his kingdom grow and spread to everyone. We received the gift of the Holy Spirit through baptism and confirmation. This gift makes us a Pentecost people, a new people empowered, through his Spirit, in the love and truth of Jesus. 

Like the apostles we are now anointed, empowered and commissioned to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus is now always with us in the depth of our being. We can help others to experience the harvest the Holy Spirit brings; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, truthfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

The Holy Spirit reminds us of the words of Jesus and makes us prophets and witnesses to his saving grace. Let us rejoice and give thanks to God for the gift of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and let us share the harvest and the Spirit with others.

Last Friday, sixty-one students in our parish school celebrated their graduation from grade school. In their years at Queen of All Saints School they not only received an excellent academic education but they were also instructed in the truths of our faith and taught how to live as disciples. Most of them received the sacrament of confirmation about a month ago. As they go forward in life, we hope and pray that the seeds of faith and knowledge they received here at QAS may, through the strength and guidance of the Spirit, help them become better disciples and produce a harvest of good works that will transform the world. 

Blessings!!