50 days ago we celebrated Easter, which makes this weekend the Feast of Pentecost! Pentecost is all about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the promised GIFT from on high that enables us to know Jesus personally and live our faith with courage, boldness, and passion.
That’s precisely what happened with the disciples. It was the Holy Spirit that compelled them to leave the security and relative comfort of being locked in the upper room out of fear and confusion — and move out into new and unexplored territory. They were transformed from that fear, doubt, and
hesitation, into bold witness of their personal experience of Jesus. And, it is the Holy Spirit that draws each of us to that same personal experience of Jesus and makes our religion alive.
Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me.
—Daniel Iverson
Without the Holy Spirit, religion would be simply rules, obligations, guilt, fear, and condemnation. With the Holy Spirit, religion becomes a spirituality that is filled with openness, vitality, freedom, and purposefulness — all flowing directly from the divine friendship offered in Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit!!!!
Update on our seminarians from the parish. Justin is at Creighton University for a four-week spirituality institute, then back here for a long weekend before heading to Rome for intensive Italian studies before beginning graduate classes in the fall. James begins his summer internship at the parish in Grants Pass. If you are down that way for the Britt Festival or Shakespearean Festival, stop by and say hi! God bless both of them and all who are preparing to serve as priests.
Blessings to Cayden Abisado, Mia Cabalfin, Delta Curtis, and Andrew Guerrero, who were baptized this weekend!
Congratulations to Christine Gentibano and Johnathan Phan, who were married here on June 8
th. Blessings to you both, and to all of our married and engaged couples!
Funeral services will be held for Ronan Smith on Friday, June 14
th at 2:00pm. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace.