Religious Education News: Term 2, Week 7

Last Sunday marked the Feast of Pentecost! This is an important Feast in our liturgical year as it marks the descent of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and the birthday of the Church!

Pentecost is often called the ‘birthday’ of the Catholic Church because it was when the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles in the form of wind and fire. We often associate wind and fire with transformation and movement. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit transformed those gathered and sent them out into the world! This was the beginning of the Church, when the first Apostles went out to share the Good News about Jesus.

The Holy Spirit has been a helper to the faithful since those first days of the Church when the Apostles were gathered, waiting in Jerusalem for a sign from God. The arrival of the Holy Spirit was that sign, and they set out from there to all the ends of the Earth, leaving behind fear and going out to share their faith tirelessly!

We are called to do the same in our lives - called to go out and share our faith, knowing that Jesus has fulfilled His promises as recorded in the Gospel of St John:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live."

This coming Sunday is also a celebration of one of the great mysteries of the Church - The Most Holy Trinity. The Apostles knew of God the Father, and had now encountered God the Son in the person of Jesus. At Pentecost, they were gifted with the third person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit. Please join us this Sunday as we celebrate this wonderful relationship with our Triune God!

Kind regards,

Christopher Evans

Religious Education Coordinator (Acting)

Important Dates:

First Eucharist Retreat Day    - Week 8 (Friday 20th June)

First Eucharist                         - Saturday 21st June (5:00 pm)

                                                - Sunday 22nd June (time changed to 10:30 am)

Year 4 Mass                            - Week 9 (Friday 27th June)

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 will renew the face of the earth.

Lord,

by the light of the Holy Spirit

you have taught the hearts of your faithful.

In the same Spirit

help us to relish what is right

and always rejoice in your consolation.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.