Happy Birthday: Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost; that day when the Holy Spirit that Jesus had
promised, came and filled the disciples. In the Acts of the Apostles, we hear how the disciples were waiting
in fear in the upper room when the spirit came as wind and fire and transformed their lives. In John’s
Gospel, we hear again a small passage we heard on the 2nd Sunday of Easter, where Jesus breathed on the
disciples.
We celebrate our birthdays remembering that gift of life
we have been given. At Pentecost it is the same, we don’t just celebrate the gifts and fruits of the Holy
Spirit that was given first to the disciples enabled them to share God’s love and peace, bring joy to the
world and share the Good News that Jesus had taught them. At Pentecost, we are renewed, refilled, reminded,
and re-energised with the gifts and fruits of the spirit given to us at Baptism and Confirmation.
Jesus, say ‘Peace be with you’; sharing that peace we gain when we know we are loved, safe and
supported in all we do by the Holy Spirit. So, lots to celebrate on this great day, the Birthday of the
Church.
