Last weekend, as Jesus ascended to the Father, He instructed His apostles to wait for the coming of the power of the Holy Spirit to be with them. So they did. They returned to the temple and praised God, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come. We pray over and over again that the Holy Spirit will come anew and refresh us and lift us up. As baptized Catholic Christians, one may ask why should we still call upon the Spirit when we have already received the fullness of the Spirit at our Baptism and Confirmation? Because with God, there is always more. We can continue to call upon the Lord to help us unpack the gifts that He has given us.
We hear in the second reading…“there are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”
As we celebrate Pentecost, take time to discern the spiritual gifts God has given you. God offers you the gift of Himself in order to benefit yourself and others. All the gifts God gives us are meant to be offered back for some benefit.
As we enter into these summer months, I pray that time slows down a little for you so that you can stop and smell the roses. But more importantly, you can stop and name the gifts God has given you. You will never know what you can offer people until you stop and see the gift that you are.
Summer Months…Please take a moment and find the ‘save the date’ for the annual summer activities we offer in the bulletin. Cut it out and put it in on your fridge. I’ll list a few now….
Looking forward to what lies ahead,
Fr. Jeremy
P.S. Last Sunday, I prayed the Litany for a Burnt-Out Soul at Mass. People asked that I share it in the bulletin.
LITANY FOR A BURNT-OUT SOUL
Adapted from soulsandhearts.com
When I'm withdrawn, Lord, have mercy.
When I'm consumed with worry, Lord...
When I numb out,
When I feel cynical,
When I've lost trust,
When I'm distracted,
When I try to escape my feelings,
When my body holds my stress,
When I'm under pressure,
When I am filled with anger,
When I become obsessed with tasks,
When I feel the urge to act out,
When I feel ashamed,
When I feel unforgiven,
Jesus, I know you love me in all my wounds,
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, you created me in love, Hold me in your arms.
Jesus, you created me for love, Hold me...
Jesus, you created me to be loved...
Jesus, you created my heart...
Jesus, you see my soul...
Jesus, you know my true self...
Jesus, you treasure me...
Jesus, you encourage me...
Jesus, you created me as your beloved...
Hold me in your arms.
Amen
