Pentecost Sunday

Fifty days after Easter, ten days after the Ascension, and three months into the pandemic that is plaguing our nation, the Church celebrates Pentecost Sunday, that day when the Holy Spirit descended on the first disciples of Jesus.  This great feast is considered the birthday of the Church, when the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth came in the form of a driving wind and tongues of fire to empower the followers of Church to bear witness to Christ to people of every nation and language and culture.  The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles records this dramatic event.  The disciples were huddled together in a house, likely trying to avoid the religious leaders and imperial officials who had conspired to crucify Jesus.  Mary, the Mother of the Lord, and the apostles were among them, taking part in prayer and fellowship.  Suddenly, a powerful wind blew their way, filling and shaking their house, and tongues of fire rested on each one of them, igniting their hearts with the energy of the Holy Spirit.   All of a sudden they began to speak in different tongues so that they were able to proclaim Christ to a large crowd made up of devout Jews who spoke various languages and who hailed from “every nation under heaven.”  As a result, the Church was born; and fueled by the Holy Spirit, the community of Jesus’ disciples was sent forth as a missionary people to deliver the gospel in word and deed to the whole world.  This is our challenge today, to bear witness to Christ in our family life, our neighborhood, our work place, really in every place we find ourselves…and to be disciples of Jesus in the midst of a health crisis that has brought sickness, death and hardship to so many.  Everybody needs to hear and see for themselves the good news of God’s universal saving will, manifest in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we first received in baptism and the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on us in Confirmation, we are all commissioned to be missionaries for Christ, each witnessing to the gospel within our own sphere of influence.  In other words, the risen Lord Jesus speaks to each of us, his adopted brothers and sisters, the same words he once spoke to his first disciples: “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  May the Holy Spirit give us the wisdom and courage to be faithful and effective witnesses to Christ and his gospel of love and mercy!

News and Notes:

Our current plan is to continue offering two Masses each weekend during the month of June: 4PM on Saturday at OLA and 9:30AM on Sunday at SMG.  By Thursday noon of each week, please sign up for the Mass you plan to attend.  You can do this by calling (781-598-4313) or emailing Janine Sano ([email protected]), our Administrative Assistant, or by logging on to our website (lynnfieldcatholic.org) and filling out a "Contact Us" form.  Please give us your name, phone number, the number of people attending, and the Mass you are attending.  If you come to Mass, you need to wear a mask or face covering, and observe social distancing guidelines as best you can.  We encourage all those who are frail in health or have underlying conditions that are a serious risk for a coronavirus infection to stay at home and watch our Mass online.  My friends, it is up to us to ensure that our churches stay open and that we can expand our Mass schedule, hopefully in July, when our merger takes place.  So help us do our part by following the protocols that the Commonwealth and the Archdiocese have given us.

May the blessings of health and peace of mind be yours in the coming week!