Blessed Pentecost Sunday!
Today, Eastertide and Ascensiontide come to an end, and what a fitting end because it is also a beginning—the beginning of the Church.
Let us retrace how we got here. Jesus died on the Cross on Good Friday and He rose from the dead on Resurrection (Easter) Sunday. He was with His disciples for 40 days and on Ascension Thursday He ascended to Father God. For the First Novena of Prayer, Mary the Mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ Disciples met in the Upper Room preparing themselves for the Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost, fifty days after Resurrection Sunday, Jerusalem was filled with Jews from many different places. It was the Great Feast of Shavuot. As Mary and the Disciples were filled with God’s Spirit and Peter gave the first sermon to the followers of Christ and the Church began! Many started their relationship with Jesus and His Apostles on that day. We are the result of this glorious event!
Happy Birthday, Church!
Let us look at our Gospel Portion for today. It is, St. John 2O:19-23. We will concentrate on,
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
St. John 20:21-23
Jesus gave the leaders of the Apostolic Church the powers needed for the Church and they passed this power to the clergy to today. Through ordination, there is an unbroken line to 2025 Anno Domini! It is all about Jesus’ love for us!
Today is our day! Rejoice in the Spirit’s Presence! When we go to Ordained Priest in this Apostolic line, we have Jesus’ power through the Holy Spirit!
We are truly blest!
Rejoice and be glad because we are in the Love of Jesus, now and for ages unending! Amén! Alleluia!
Pax. The Hermit of Peace.
Hermitage of Peace 