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Dear Friends in Christ,
I hope you’ve noticed that we have celebrated quite a few baptisms in recent months here at St. Bridget’s. The children baptized range in age from infants to toddlers, to those 7 years or older. For this last group, it is now the policy in our archdiocese to offer them all the sacraments of initiation at once; baptism, confirmation, and first Eucharist. These sacraments remind us that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to us at baptism, strengthened in confirmation, and nourished by our sharing of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist.
Pentecost Sunday this weekend celebrates the gifts of the holy spirit poured out on God’s people in every age including our own. Of these manifold gifts, I would like to draw your attention to a couple of them. The Acts of the Apostles in chapter 2 tells us that on the day of Pentecost, “The disciples began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Those different tongues were not only languages, but cultures, ethnicities, and ways of life.
Speaking in various languages is one gift of the spirit, but so is listening. Acts 2 also tells us that those who gathered heard the church “speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” So, speaking and listening are essential traits of a spirit-filled church community. As Pope Francis reminds us, they are also at the heart of being a “Synodal Church” a community that regularly gathers to listen, to discern, and to follow the will of the Holy Spirit.
Building on our synod listening sessions in the spring of 2022, It’s time for us to gather again to speak and listen concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit working in our greater church and local parish. We will have listening sessions on Sunday, June 11th after the 9:30 am morning Mass, and on Monday, June 12th at 7:00 pm. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The special focus of our gathering will be the “Partners in the Gospel” planning process for the future of parishes in our archdiocese. Please plan on participating.
Come Holy Spirit…renew the face of the earth!
Fr. William Heric, Pastor
