Today we celebrate the glorious feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised would be with us to the end of time as our Advocate, descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire. If we remember the Baptism of Jesus, the Spirit was in the form of a dove. It would seem strange that now the Spirit manifests himself in a different manner. But in reality, this form of appearance makes perfect sense.

Fire both brings light and makes things move with more energy while at the same time it purifies most things with which it makes contact. This is what happened to the apostles on that first Pentecost Sunday. The presence of the Holy Spirit enlightened the Apostles so that they could be understood by all who heard them, even though there were many nations present. The Spirit purified the Apostles of the fear that hindered them from proclaiming the resurrection of Christ, and impelled them to go forth and preach, buoying their spirits with the courage necessary to be faithful witnesses of the Good News.

We too have received the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation and with the Spirit, the gifts which help us to bring Christ to others. St. Paul writes

 to the people of Corinth: “For each person, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. “ What are the gifts we can share for others’ benefit? Please take time to consider this week how God might be working in you through the Holy Spirit. There are 3 seats available in the Pastoral Council. Perhaps God may be calling you to use your gifts in service to the parish by serving in this capacity. Please contact Fr Justin at 440-526-1177 ext 224 for information on this important ministry.

I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to the eighth graders who will graduate this Wednesday evening. Many scholarships and awards will be conferred on this fine group of young men and women. Four of these scholarships are from the Assumption Educational Endowment. It is the generosity of people to this fund that makes these scholarships possible. We thank those who donate generously to this fund as we congratulate and offer our best wishes to our graduates of Assumption Academy.