We are in the last days of the Easter season, as this weekend we celebrate the end of Easter with Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world. Today, from the 17th chapter of John’s Gospel, we hear a continuation of a prayer that Jesus prays to the Father, right before he is arrested. Jesus prays not only for the disciples that he has brought to the Father, but also for those who will be brought to the faith that will be preached by these disciples. Jesus has confidence in their missionary spirit that will spread the faith throughout the world. Earlier in the week, as we commemorated the funeral liturgy of Miss Katie Kirby, one of the matriarchs of our parish, Father Gerry Hurley and Father Tom McGing were here at St Jude concelebrating her funeral Mass. I think of how Father Hurley and Father McGing came here to Mississippi from Ireland as young priests with the same missionary spirit as those first disciples of Jesus. The Irish priests adopted Mississippi as their new home, bringing love to the faithful here and willing to leave their homeland and make many sacrifices for the love of the Gospel. This is not a task that is just reserved for the priests and the nuns. All of us are called to this same spirit of evangelization with joy in our hearts for the Good News of the Gospel. As we commemorate Pentecost this weekend, may the Holy Spirit bring us new energy and new joy in our hearts in spreading the Gospel message.
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