Pentecost Sunday--May 24, 2026

“Shout out your joy and let the world see your gladness for the Lord is with us again. Now he is risen, and the Spirit is given, and He’s promised to stay till the end. His love is great so don’t let your hearts become troubled, though you seem lost and overcome by the world. He has returned and once again He has loved us giving us all a new birth. Shout out your joy…!”

Today we conclude the 50 days of our Easter Season with the celebration of the promise of the Father and the Son - the Holy Spirit sent and given. As Jesus promised his disciples, the Holy Spirit would remind them of all that he taught them. The Holy Spirit would impart gifts so that the disciples would be bold witnesses to the ends of the earth of all that they had witnessed. You and I are also given the Holy Spirit so we can be witnesses to the world. Our participation every Sunday in the Holy Mass nurtures the gifts we have received. It is the Word that continues to teach us, so we know how to live, and it is the Eucharist that nourishes us to be the strong and faithful witness of the Gospel. As the Baptized, our first responsibility is to go into the world as witnesses. This witness is given to your family and friends, to your neighbors, to your co-workers, your fellow students, to the stranger. You are witnesses through the words you choose to speak, by the way you dress, how you spend your time and your money. As Jesus told us in the Gospel: “You are my friends if you do what I command you… I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain… This I command you: love one another.” Yes, this is what we are called to do. There are some who are also called to take up service in a particular ministry by serving their brothers and sisters as we gather here at Saint Joseph’s Parish. According to the gifts that we have received we must put them at the service of others. Here at Saint Joseph’s many, over the years, have used their gifts to be of service to the parish community. The numbers have dwindled because of age, health, some have moved away, and some have died. It is time for many of you to discern your gifts that the Holy Spirit has endowed you with and put them to use in service of your fellow parishioners. I call the young men of the parish to consider service at the altar. If you have received your Fist Holy Communion, then come forth. I call men and women who are fully initiated and who have the gifts to serve the parish community as a Lector; come forward. If are baptized then discern the gifts of the Spirit to serve as an Usher, Choir Member or Sacristan. Some have been given certain gifts so as to serve as a Catechist, Parish Council Member or a Finance Council Member. Come forth. When you hear the invitation – RESPOND! Let us continue to build up the Kingdom of God right here at Saint Joseph’s Parish. SHOUT OUT YOUR JOY!

Rejoice in the Holy Spirit, Alleluia!
Fr. Steven Guitron