Whitsunday - Rector's Rambling for June 8, 2025

     Today we celebrate the gift of God the Holy Ghost, who has been sent to us, and dwells within us by virtue of our baptism.  God, the third person of the Holy Trinity, descended upon the disciples 50 days after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 10 days after his Ascension.  He was sent to lead them into all truth, and to empower them for the work of being The Church!  And we share the same mission today here at St. John’s Church in Detroit.

Of the three persons of the Holy Trinity, God the Holy Ghost may be the most overlooked. We understand the Father, and the Son Jesus Christ.  We have access to both persons in prayer, and Jesus’ presence continues in a special way in the  Blessed Sacrament of His precious body and blood.

But God the Holy Ghost is also amazingly available to us.  As Jesus says to us, unless we are born again of water and the Spirit we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God (John 3:5).  And since that is true, we also hear Jesus promising that once He ‘goes away’ (ascends into heaven) that He will send to us the Holy Spirit (John 16:7).  We also hear that on Jesus’ resurrection Day when he appeared to the disciples He breathed upon them and said “receive the Holy Ghost” . This was for the beginning of the ministry of reconciliation, which is the forgiveness of sins.  

Today we celebrate the greater outpouring of God the Holy Ghost, so that the Gospel could be powerfully preached to those who were gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (50th day after the Passover).  The Holy Ghost spoke through those disciples in a variety of languages so that everyone else present in Jerusalem could hear the Good News in their own tongue.   And then with the Feast over, could take that Good News back with them to their hometowns!  This is why we often call Pentecost the birth day of the Church.

Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, and lighten us with your celestial fire!  The same Holy Ghost is active and at work in The Church.  Ask Him to help you to pray, to read Scripture, to share the Good News, and to use His gifts to serve.