Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2010
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Gospel: John 20:19-23. “Receive the Holy Spirit”
MP3 Audio 12 min.
Summary: Today, Pentecost, is the birthday of the Church. God established a Church because we need a way to encounter Jesus in our lives. The Church begins with the family, in the home. The family is our first experience of Jesus, and this makes the family the first Church. Families are not just people related to one another who live together, who give rides to each other to the mall. They are connected to God, and to each other.
Living a Catholic family life means at the minimum prayers together. Say grace before meals, and eat meals together. Families that do not pray are most at risk for tragedy and heartache.
Concerning the sacraments, Baptize your baby weeks after birth, not months or years. We don’t know what happens to children who die without Baptism. They are in Limbo or heaven. Don’t delay the baby’s baptism until the party.
The sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion should be received when the child is old enough to know right from wrong, when they appreciate the need for spiritual nourishment. Confirmation allows us to receive the extra graces to survive the assaults of the modern world.
Concerning matrimony, not many couples get married in the Church, unfortunately. A young woman should know that the man she chooses should promise to God to take care of them both and the children for the rest of their lives. Common law marriages are shakey.
Catholic homes are also little churches from which vocations come. Today, Pentecost, is not only the birthday of the Church but a special day of a rebirth of our families.
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