My Dear Friends,

Today, we commemorate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Besides Christmas and Easter, Pentecost has always been an important day in the Church’s calendar.

Until 1970, Pentecost had an octave associated with it, so the Church would celebrate the Holy Spirit for eight days, with the following Sunday being Trinity Sunday.

The Holy Spirit gives us special gifts, called charisms, to live out our faith in Jesus Christ. It is also the Holy Spirit that animates the Catholic Church. He is the spouse of the Blessed Mother, for she conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. He also teaches us how to pray and what to say. His fruits in our lives when we cooperate with his grace are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, chastity, modesty, generosity, and self-control.

We also celebrate Memorial Day today. Some people will say it is not a day to celebrate but to commemorate. We remember all of the men and women who lost their lives in service to the United States, whether the war was a just war or an unjust war.

A soldier gives his obedience in the military branch to his superiors, and the last superior that all soldiers, officers, and generals are under is the Commander-in-Chief. Politicians who send our men and women into war are called to make sure that there is a just reason for them to send our men and women to a military action that may cause them to lose their lives.

We have had many wars in our country, beginning with the Revolutionary War. I do not foresee an end to war in our country. Due to Original Sin and the human condition, there will always be wars and rumors of wars and countries fighting countries. It is a form of Utopia to believe that we can live in peace with all countries. Without Jesus, that is an impossibility.

Jesus is King of kings, Lord of lords, and the Prince of Peace. Not as the world gives peace does he give peace. Even though we will have wars, it is still a good thing to pray that there will be peace, but that peace must be centered on Jesus Christ.

God bless

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