Happy Birthday Church!
Beloved, today we celebrate our birthday as the People of God! Let us let God the Spirit take over our lives and bear fruit that will change us and the world around us.
Our Gospel Portion for today is St. John 20:19-23. We will pray over,
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.’” St. John 20:21
Peace is a key fruit from our relationship with the Lord, but it is not of this world; it is Divine. It is the peace that no one can take from us. It is this peace that we share in this chaotic world.
There are many fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives, but I want to give you some homework: please read and pray Galatians 5:22-23. Here, St. Paul presents us with the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is these Fruits that will change us and our world.
To be Jesus in the world, we must surrender to Him. The Holy Spirit can then take over and give us the grace of peace and the other fruits to ourselves and to those we encounter.
But our human nature may get in the way. In counseling people, I often say, “Practice the pause.” The key here is to let the Spirit of the Lord take over what we are about to tell them. I have failed this process too many times to count, so I need a reminder of what Pentecost means in the world, every day of our lives, and in every relationship we have.
Jesus did not leave us alone. He gave us the ability to make Him present wherever we may be.
We celebrate the Birthday of the Church today! Let us celebrate who we are as the Church and, through our actions, make Heaven on Earth in us and all we share our lives with.
Have a blessed Pentecost Sunday!
Pax. The Hermit of Peace.
Hermitage of Peace 