Viatorians celebrated the feast of Pentecost on Sunday at their various parishes, and though they took slightly different forms, this much they shared: the Holy Spirit is a gift that must be shared.
Luke Silvestri partners with a young parishioner to fly their banner.
Fr. Richard Rinn, CSV, Pastor of St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas, put it this way: “The Spirit is there for all of us,” he said. “Only in the Spirit can we believe the unbelievable, hope for a grace beyond our grasp, look for glory beyond the grave.
This entire family enjoyed flying the banners.
“The world needs us,” he added. “We have this gift of the Holy Spirit, but it’s not our private gift. It’s our responsibility to use it.”
After Mass, children and their families waved colorful banners in the wind, in the church’s courtyard. The banners looked like kites, driven by the wind, just as in the gospel reading, a strong wind blew into the room where the apostles were. Suddenly, they were able to speak in tongues and were filled with the Holy Spirit.
At Maternity BVM Parish in Bourbonnais, preschoolers wore headdresses bearing a single flame, as they learned about the Holy Spirit giving the apostles tongues of fire to go out and proclaim the gospel.
Preschoolers at Maternity BVM Parish.
In summing up his three-part homily, Fr. Rinn boiled his message down to this: “When we allow the Spirit to go home with us, we now are free from sin and death. We are daughters and sons of God. . . We are called to make a difference. Maybe not in the world, but certainly in our little corner of it.”
Chapel at the Province Center