Dear Fellow Parishioners, Whenever we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, Holy Trinity, and Corpus Christi I have in the past always wished they were spaced out and not one right after another. I decided to take some time to reflect on what message there was for me personally and for us as a community in the celebration of each of these feasts. I shared that this past weekend and want us to recognize the mission the whole Church is called to as we deepen our relationship with God and the world.
On Pentecost the disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit to go out to all the world and tell the Good News. Rather than filled with fear they were filled with faith, a faith they were willing to share and willing to die for. With the fullness of God as Father, Son, And Spirit we deepened our relationship with God and heard the command of Jesus, “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News; baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!” Fed and nourished by the Word of God and the Body of Christ, we become the Body of Christ and are empowered, as were the disciples to use our faith to make a difference. As I like to say, “Make the world the place God says it ought to be!”
With this in mind, we are called to “Rethink Church!” How can we work together as the Catholic Community of Sacred Heart? To discern this and listen well to the guidance of the Holy Spirit we need two important ingredients: dialogue and kindness. Dialogue is approaching conversations with a listening heart, a desire, not to get our opinion across, but a desire to understand what is in someone else’s heart. A desire to listen to what they are hearing. Most important is kindness in accepting what is presented, not challenging even when we have a totally different perspective.
Working together as Catholics is the principle of Solidarity. The Church defines solidarity as recognizing others as our brothers and sisters and actively working for their good. In our connected humanity, we are invited to build relationships, to understand what life is like for others who are different from us.
Who is it we need to be in solidarity with? Who do we need to understand? Who do we need to give a seat at our table? For whom do we need to advocate? Questions that help us discern the Spirit of the living God!