Praise be to Jesus!
 
     Nestled between Tuesday’s celebration of The Visitation of the Blessed Mother and Sunday’s celebration of Pentecost, the last week of Easter reminds us of the fulfillment of God’s promise in the coming of the Holy Spirit! Let us recall that on Pentecost, the Apostles, our Blessed Mother and a hundred or so others were in the upper room where the Last Supper was celebrated. They fasted and prayed for the nine days between the Lord’s Ascension and this Sunday. The Spirit of the Lord was gifted to the faithful followers of Jesus. They went from hiding behind locked doors in fear of their lives, to proclaiming the Good News on the streets.
 
    As we look back over the last 50 or so days of Easter, we’re reminded of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, the confusion, betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday, and our eternal hope of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning. Since Jesus’s first visit with his followers on that Easter morning, for 49 days they hid in fear. They cowered under the weight of self-concern. Then an act of God empowered the new church. No longer would the followers of Jesus hide behind locked doors! They broke out into the streets to proclaim the good news as the salvation story of our God took on a new boldness and a new strength.
  
    From hopeless to empowered, from frightened to fearless, the early Church proclaimed the good news on every continent. Today, we are still in the early church. The greatest story ever told needs the boldness of Pentecost! In our homes, at work and even a night out with the boys or girls, can we proclaim the salvation gifted to us through the Cross, the resurrection through the fifty days of the Eater Season?
  
    Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of Summer, and thanks be to God, it is here! Let’s remember that we all have a part to play in the greatest story ever told. Our part could easily be the link that brings another generation back to their senses and to prayer. It takes women and men of courage to lead. Pray to the Lord for the weakness to be used, the humility to help others and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be emboldened to cry out, “Praise be to Jesus!”
                                                      
                                                             Deacon Tom