The community is gathered together in one place.

A noise like a strong driving wind comes from the sky. The noise fills the entire house.

Tongues of fire appear which part and come to rest on each one of them.

Those are the signs of the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

They are gathered – so much of our life is separated, un-gathered, divided. Even, and especially our family time. We do things on the run. In the rush it becomes easier to use people. And when we get in the groove of using people, we tend to get more aggravated with people – we see them as obstacles to getting what we want, rather than joy. We forget the joy of simply being together.

The noise like the driving wind fills the house. So often the noise that fills our daily life are notices from iPhones, non-stop videos, traffic and alarms, non-stop conversations. We can forget the driving wind of God that can fill and refresh the house of our very soul.

The fire then rests on them. So often our fire can be a fire of wrath, anger, resentment, trying to get even. That eats us up.

Our world tells us that rushing around in division, the constant noise, and churning desire for “showing them” are the currency of daily life. Those are trick s of the evil one to draw us into sin. The additional trick is not to recognize sin as sin – even to believe sin is impossible.

But the Holy Spirit is real. And He wants to drive sin out of our life through forgiveness. God forgives us in the sacrament of Confession.

Let the breeze of the Holy Spirit descend deep into your soul – let Him prompt you to go to Confession. Let His light fill you with forgiveness – the path to joy.

God bless,
Msgr. Bransfield