PENTECOST SUNDAY

PENTECOST SUNDAY 

Good evening/morning everyone. We are happy to welcome you all for today's Holy Mass.  

Once an angel of the Lord appeared to a small town in Canada and announced to all people saying, "The Holy Spirit sent me to let you know that your town is chosen in a special way. It's because there are so many doves living here. They represent the Holy Spirit and you are asked to protect them. Please do not even step on them because the punishment would be terrible". And people were so careful and tried their best to protect the doves. Then one day, as three women went for a long walk, one of them stepped on a dove. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, "Since you disobeyed the Lord, you are condemned to live forever with the ugliest man in the world". The next day, the other woman also did the same thing and was condemned to live with the ugliest man in the world. The last lady was so careful, and she didn't even get out of her house or even used 'Dove' soap. Then one day, there was a knock at her door, there stood a beautiful man looking at her and said, "I don't know about you but this morning I stepped on a dove and was condemned to live with you forever". 

Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the solemn feast of Pentecost. Pentecost simply means, 'fiftieth day'. Yes, fifty days, after the glorious Resurrection, Christ our Lord filled all the apostles and others with the power of the Holy Spirit. The power came on each one of them as tongues of fire and filled them with the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, understanding and so on. They all began to speak in different tongues and people who listened to them were all filled with happiness and joy.  

One day a mother looked at her child who came back from Sunday school and said, "What did you learn today at Sunday school?" The child was all proud and said, "Father said, "we no need to be afraid because we will all get our quilt". What? The mother who was so confused called the priest and asked about it. He said, "yes, the theme was, "Do not be afraid, you will get your comforter".  

Today we celebrate the coming of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. There was certain fear in the apostles. They were so hesitant to confront the authorities and others in the name of Christ. They were often hiding behind locked doors and were going out with false names or fake id. They were not enlightened in the glory of God. They needed the comforter to be courageous and strong and Christ our Lord ten days after His glorious Ascension sent the comforter upon them. 

Once a little boy was praying to God beside his mother and grandmother. He said, "God, thank you for everything and please give me a good night sleep. Then he at the top of his voice screamed saying, "send me a bike for my birthday". The mom said, "That is wonderful son. Please don't scream, God is not deaf". The boy said, "I know that mom, but our grandma is..." 

Pentecost is called the 'birthday' of the Holy Catholic Church. From this day onwards, the believers began to experience the Father's love, the Son's forgiveness and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They began to know the glory of God, the wisdom of Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This day, we celebrate our birthday too. This day we are renewed new in Christ through the Holy Spirit. 

Once a reporter asked Mother Teresa saying, "Was not hard to learn the language of the people whom you are serving? Mother Teresa said, "No, not at all. We communicate with our hearts, with our smile and with our faith". When the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and others, they began to speak the language of the people and began to communicate with them powerfully. The gifts of the Holy Spirit change everything in us and make us new every day. 

Once a teacher asked the children to name the gifts they possess from the Holy Spirit. Everyone discovered their gifts except one little boy Tomy. The teacher said, "Tomy, don't you have any gift?". Tomy said, "I am not going to worry about it now because I have enough patience". 

We are all given so many gifts to enjoy and share with others. They say, "If you were born poor, it's not your fault both materially and spiritually and if you die poor, it's your fault both materially and spiritually". Let us find our hidden talents and make them shine before others. Let us spread the honor and glory of God with our gifts and blessings of the Holy spirit. Amen.