Dear Fellow Parishioners,
Often referred to as the birthday of the church, today is Pentecost, the celebration of the sending of the Spirit on the apostles. “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind,” Acts 2:2. Ever since that day the Spirit has blown around the whole world moving the hearts of believers.
Just as we don’t see the wind, neither do we see the Spirit. But we can clearly see what the wind and the Spirit does. The new Airbus and Dreamliner airplanes need a mighty wind to lift them into the skies. The 460 ton Airbus needs to be rolling down the runway at 170 miles per hour before the pilot lifts its nose and lets her climb. Without that wind those planes don’t fly; and without the Spirit we, too, are grounded. Inviting the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts is the only prayer we need today, perhaps it’s the only prayer we ever need. Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart.
Let’s look at our Catholic Church in our own state of California and see what that Holy Spirit has inspired.
We are the largest private provider of education, health care and social services.
- 42 Catholic Hospitals which annually assist more than 7,000,000 patients.
- 19 Catholic Health Care Centers which annually assist 340,000 individuals.
- 13 Catholic Colleges and Universities which enroll over 47,000 students.
- 20 Seminaries which prepare over 600 seminarians.
- 116 Catholic High Schools which serve 70,000 students.
- 562 Elementary Schools serving 159,000 students.
- 104 Social Services centers annually serving more that 4,000,000 people of various ethnicity, social status and religion.
And this does not include the movement of the Spirit in individual parishes like our own. We have hundreds of volunteers, who not only minister at liturgies but pass on the faith by teaching, adult education, bible study, visiting the sick and the imprisoned, working for peace and justice, maintaining our buildings, running fund raisers, food collections for Guadalupe Center etc. etc. Our parish also tithes from its income in order to give to the poorest of the poor around the world. Yes, we cannot see the Spirit but faith in action is very visible. I constantly see the Spirit moving in you, the people of St. Bernardine, and I thank God for you. God bless you all.
God bless you,
Father McNamara
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Bulletin
Coming up
@ St. B's
Dinner with Friends
Sunday May 19
after the 5:30pm Mass
Food Gathering:
May 18-19
Please bring your non-perishable items to benefit the
Guadalupe Center food pantry.
Adult Faith Enrichment
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