Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

During this month of May we continue in the final weeks of the Easter season. Hopefully our rejoicing in the Risen Lord is as robust and joyful as it was on Easter Sunday. Alleluia!! Alleluia!! Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead!! By death, Jesus conquered death, and to those in the grave he granted life!!

At the end of the month of May this year, we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, which concludes the Easter season in the church. Each year on the Solemnity of Pentecost, which is the 50th day after Easter, we are reminded how the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Blessed Trinity, acts both with us and in us as we face the reality of being true to our faith, missionary disciples of the Lord, each and every day of our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God continues each day to renew, to recreate, to sustain and to support all people and all things that he has created.
The Holy Spirit is our advocate and guide, the one who continually prompts and strengthens us to be faithful in our journey to the Father through Jesus Christ the Son. The Pentecost sequence, prayed on Pentecost Sunday after the second reading and before the Gospel alleluia, is a prayerful request for the power of the Holy Spirit to act in the lives of the faithful. I urge you this year again to pay close attention to the words of the sequence as it is prayed at Masses on Pentecost Sunday. Utilize the month of May to prepare your minds, heart, and faith to receive anew the freshness of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
 
As I have done before, I urge you during this month in preparation for Pentecost to pray for the following: For the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith; for the comfort of the Holy Spirit to be given to those who mourn; for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to be given to those who govern; for the patience of the Holy Spirit to be given to those who seek God’s action in their lives; for the generosity of the Holy Spirit to be given to those who have an abundance; for the peace of the Holy Spirit to be given to our world and to our lives; for the self-control of the Holy Spirit to be given to those who are addicted to anything; for the gentleness of the Holy Spirit to be given to those who care for others; for the love of the Holy Spirit to be given to those in the sacrament of matrimony or engaged to enter this sacrament; and for the joy of the Holy Spirit to be given to all! You may also utilize during this month in preparation for Pentecost the prayer to the Holy Spirit:

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ Our Lord, Amen.”

The special outpouring of the Holy Spirit is also celebrated during the sacrament of confirmation, and I continue in these days to visit parishes to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation with youth and adult candidates. Celebrating the sacrament of confirmation with the candidates brings me great joy. As they open their minds, hearts and very lives to this special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, let us pray that some of them will also hear God’s call to serve the church as priests and vowed religious. I pray that this outpouring of the gift of the Holy Spirit will enable more of our youth to hear God’s call to embrace a religious vocation in their lives.

The month of May also brings us to the end of the school year. I express my great gratitude to the teachers, principals, administrators, staff, maintenance and custodial staff, students and parents as we come to the end of this most unusual school year. I thank all of you for the extra effort that was put forth this year to keep our school communities safe, and to keep our youth in school. God bless you all! May the Holy Spirit reward you for your great effort!