Above: Traditional image of Pentecost

FEAST OF PENTECOST

 Fire in the soul to witness to Jesus

What is the secret to the Christian life fully lived? How can I possibly strive to live the great truths Jesus taught in the Gospel and bear witness with clarion honesty to the reality of Jesus alive in my soul?

The answer is in today’s feast – the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. Ever since that moment when they began speaking in ‘strange tongues’ and bearing witness fearlessly before Jews and Greeks, mankind has been alive with the spirit of Jesus which is God’s Holy Spirit.

‘But, but, but,’ I stutter and say, “How can I ‘get the power’ of the Holy Spirit so that I can live my life with overwhelming conviction that will knock the socks of my unbelieving friends, and even influence my children to return to Mass and to receiving the sacraments regularly?”

Thomas Aquinas had a great phrase (in Latin) which roughly translated means: “What you haven’t got, you can’t give!” It can apply to a faith on fire. If my spirit, my soul, is not ‘on fire’ with a powerful love of Jesus, it is impossible to start fires in the hearts and souls of others. So first, we must rattle the bellows at the furnace and truly ‘get stoked’.

Here is a powerful prayer of abandonment to the Holy Spirit by Cardinal Mercier. Try it daily for a year and watch how your life will begin to burn constantly with love for God and others. Then you will certainly set others alight! … The fire of Love will burn brightly in your spirit and you’ll see the world with new eyes, the eyes of Jesus.

Cardinal Mercier’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit

The Secret of Holiness

“Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You.

Enlighten me, guide me, comfort me, strengthen me.

Tell me what I should do; give me Your orders.

I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me

and to accept all that You permit to happen to me.

Let me only know Your holy will. Amen.”

Of this prayer Cardinal Mercier said plainly:

“I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. If every day during five minutes, you will keep your imagination quiet, shut your eyes to all things of sense, and close your ears to all the sounds of earth, so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, speaking there to that Holy Spirit saying: “O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul …”

If you do this, your life will pass happily and serenely. Consolation will abound even in the midst of troubles. Grace will be given in proportion to the trial as well as strength to bear it, bringing you to the gates of Paradise full of merit. The submission to the Holy Spirit is the Secret of Sanctity.”

 

 Pray the prayer for yourself, your family, and for our parish each day. Cut the prayer out and keep it handy… in your purse, your wallet, or on the fridge door!

 (Cardinal Mercier, in the absence of the Belgian king, became Belgium’s leading figure who opposed the German invasion in August 1914 – WWI.)

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Parish Contact Details

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Remember in Prayer 

Shirley Ash, Tommy Upton, Kevin Seymour, May Houlihan, Joan Sandral, Kevin Lovell, Imelda Gauci, Pauline Kerr, and all mentioned on our In Memoriam Board for this month

Rosaries in your neighborhood

* Nora Kingston, 24 Alfred St ph. 6033 2026. Wednesdays at 4.30pm

* Chris & Janet McLean, 5A Lindsay St: ph. 04 299 823 66 Wednesdays at 5.30pm

* Karinya Aged Care Chapel, Sundays 11am

* St Mary’s Church, Saturdays 8.45am

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS / EVENTS

Balldale Majellan 27^th May 12.30pm at Nora Kingston’s, 24 Alfred Street, Corowa

Wrap w Love: Mon 01^st June 9.30am in Hall

Bishop’s dinner

Volunteer Dishes – for Parish Dinner for Bishop Hanna on Friday19th June 6.00pm for 6.30pm at St Mary’s School Hall. Clipboard now available on back table. Please sign on and indicate what kind of dish you will bring. Thank you.

Monthly Adoration commences June 07^th 10.00am – 5.00pm

All are welcome to come and adore the Lord!

• The large Monstrance will be used.
• Adoration will be in Our Lady’s chapel, thereby encouraging closeness to the Lord and avoiding heating costs in the nave during winter.
• If Father is available, Adoration will conclude with Benediction.

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MASS INTENTIONS 24^th – 31^ST May

Sat 23 6.30 Mass (Pat Kelly, K. Mulquiney),

Christian Unity week concludes

Sunday 24^th Pentecost

9.00am Mass (for all parishioners)

Monday 25^th Our Lady Help of Christians  

9.00am Mass (Unity among all churches)

2.00pm Funeral Mass for Natalie Doyle

Tuesday 26^th St Philip Neri

9.00 Mass (Nell, John Leahy; Imelda Gauci)

Wednesday 27^th St Augustine of C-bury

9.00am Mass (Shirley Ash, May Houlihan, Joan Sandral)

Thurs 28th

11.40 Nov.& M.(Pauline Kerr; Roy, Pat Potter)

Friday 29th

9.00am Mass (Nepal & plane crash victims )

Saturday 30^th

8.45am Rosary & Mass (B. Crisfield; M. McKoy)

6.30pm Vigil Mass (Vin Fitzgerald, K Lovell, K Elliott)

Sunday 31st HOLY TRINITY

9.00am Mass (All parishioners)

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Roster for 30^TH – 31^ST May

Gifts:

6.30pm – P Culhane, M Macqueen

9.00am – R Whitmore

Lectors:

6.30pm – C Knight, J Lowden

9.00am – M Milthorpe

Special Minister:

6.30pm – T Drum, I Brooks

9.00am – K Roberts, P Lemmon

Altar: – Mary Fitzgibbon

Welcomers:

6.30pm – Sandral Family

9.00am – C Sutcliffe

Altar Servers:

6.30pm – Steph Lassey, Olivia Smerdon

9.00am – Bella Heagney, Isabel Bush

Collection: K Freeman

Counters: Arthur & Mary Campbell

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