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For fifty days we have been celebrating the incomparable joy of the Resurrection. Today, Pentecost Sunday, we close the Easter Season by gratefully acknowledging the magnificent and mysterious work of the Holy Spirit. On this day, the Holy Spirit transformed very ordinary men (who ran away when Jesus was arrested and hid in a locked room because they were afraid) and inspired them to begin the challenging process of founding the Church.


Three years earlier, these apostles had dropped everything and followed Jesus. They truly had no idea what to expect. They put their own hopes and dreams on hold, they left their jobs, and they left their families. They put their egos aside, swallowed their pride and humbled themselves before Jesus. They spent three years with Jesus – listening, watching, and following. From Easter until Pentecost the apostles were still trying to figure things out. Like many of us, they were unsure about how to do the important job that Jesus had given them without Him at their side each day.


Jesus knew that, on their own, these men were not capable of starting the Church. So, Jesus caused the Holy Spirit to enter them, fill them with courage, and transform them into men who could inspire people to listen to the Good News of Jesus Christ. With the help of the Holy Spirit, they were on fire for the Lord!


In the Creed we call the Holy Spirit, “the Lord and giver of life” because the Holy Spirit gives us “new” life to fuel our relationship with God so that God can work in us and through us. In the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit is present in two ways: He transforms bread and wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord. Then, after we receive the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit transforms us so that we can become what we receive.


The Holy Spirit set the disciples on fire so that they could carry out the mission of starting and growing the Church. The Holy Spirit sets us on fire with the real presence of Jesus within us – HERE AND NOW – so that we can continue that mission.


Heavenly Father, help us to recognize and accept the Holy Spirit acting in our lives, setting our hearts on fire, and moving us to act in the lives of others.

Fr. Mike

I respect people who are “down to earth” and “keep their heads in the game.” I assume that those people “know how to get things done.” I’m decidedly less patient with those who have their “heads in the clouds.” In my opinion, they may dream big, but can rarely execute on their dreams.


This week, we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord. Of course, His Ascension into heaven is only possible because he first descended to be with us in this world to proclaim the Good News of His Father’s love for us. He not only came down to earth, He was “down to earth.” The Gospels tell us that He was “a regular guy,” who laughed and cried, was hungry and thirsty, was loving and compassionate. When people met Him, they likely said, “He was so relatable. It was like I had known Him my whole life.” Yet, He never forgot His heavenly home.


When Jesus was taken up to heaven, two angels asked the apostles, “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” In other words, get your heads out of the clouds and start focusing on the work that needs to be done here on earth.


Someone recently criticized me for being too concerned about our buildings and campus.

In this person’s opinion, I was a little too “down to earth.” That may be true. I tend to focus on tasks which lead to tangible results. Sometimes, when I pray, I feel like I have my head in the clouds, and I’m never sure if it’s making any real difference. I like the fact that both Pope Francis (who got his shoes dirty) and Pope Leo (who ate hotdogs at baseball games) seem to be “down to earth, regular guys,” who value hard work and a practical approach. They do not seem to have their heads “in the clouds.” Yet, we also know that no man becomes Pope without spending much time in prayer, perhaps the Catholic version of having their heads “in the clouds.” And so, as with so many things in our faith tradition, the answer is to balance both aspects of our relationship with Jesus. We have to speak with Him often in prayer and worship, but we also have to do the many “earthly” things that He asks us to do.

Fr. Mike

Rules or relationships?


From 2001 until 2010, I was a “Platinum Elite” flier on Northwest Airlines. During those nine years, my relationship with NWA often permitted gate agents and customer service representatives to waive or modify the often confusing, harsh, or strict rules to accommodate whatever my issue might be. The airline valued my relationship more than it valued adhering to rigidly enforced rules. As a result, I flew NWA as often as I could, even when it was inconvenient to do so. To date, I have flown more than 1 million miles on NWA/Delta.


This weekend, we hear about Paul and Barnabas who are trying to form relationships with the Gentiles. They are exciting these “non-believers” with the good news of Jesus Christ, are succeeding in converting them to “the Way,” and are inviting them into relationships with the other followers of Jesus. However, some of the existing members of the early Church were not at all interested in relationships with Gentiles unless the Gentiles first met the requirements of being Jewish. The most important of these requirements was that they be circumcised.


This caused a great deal of stress among the Gentiles and led Paul to seek clarification of the many applicable rules while, at the same time, stressing the importance of the relationships that he had formed with these people. For Paul, the decision was easy – Jesus told the apostles to go to all nations and to baptize them. That is exactly what he was trying to do. Jesus never put any limits or constraints or burdens on this evangelization mission. Paul could not see why his fellow Christians would refuse to allow new members to join when Jesus consistently broke all the rules by associating with anyone who came to Him with a sincere heart.


Last week, we heard that the foundational principle of a follower of Jesus is LOVE. In many ways, love is the opposite of rules. Rules require us to obey and comply. Love inspires us to have a personal response. Love goes beyond complicated, elaborate, rigidly enforced rules. Love is a relationship, not a duty or an obligation. Let’s be careful when we resort to rules to justify behavior that does not reflect our Lord’s very clear mandate of love. Our faith is not about rules, it’s about relationships!

Fr. Mike

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St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church

33926 Calle La Primavera

Dana Point, CA 92629

Parish Office Hours

Monday-Friday 8am - 5pm

Saturday-Sunday 8am - 2pm

San Felipe De Jesus Chapel

26010 Domingo Ave

Dana Point, CA 92624

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