Come, Holy Spirit

Pentecost

Today it is the feast of Pentecost and the readings focus on the Holy Spirit. This feast is celebrated fifty days after Easter and concludes the Easter season. It recalls the sending of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus had promised to send. Today we celebrate the beginning of the Church.

Who is the Holy Spirit? He is the third person of the Holy Trinity. As we proclaim in the Creed, “the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.” Today’s Gospel clearly shows this unity of the three persons of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit gives life and strength. Jesus started his teachings after being baptised and the Holy Spirit descended upon him. It was the Holy Spirit who sustained him throughout. This is in fact revealed by Jesus himself in the synagogue: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4, 18-19) Through the strength received from the Holy Spirit, Jesus taught in a convincing way, he lived without falling to temptation, he performed miracles and he endured a cruel death. And above all, with the power of the Holy Spirit, after three days, Jesus rose from the dead.

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, gave life and strength to the Church. And continues to do so to this day, especially through the sacraments.

The Holy Spirit is truth. Through our conscience, he shows us what is good and what is wrong. The Holy Spirit helps us to change our heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11, 18-20).

Just as the Holy Spirit, gave courage to the disciples to proclaim the teachings of Christ, even at the cost of their lives, he gives this same courage to us too. We may not be called to martyrdom, however the society we live in does not make it easy to live our faith. As parents, what values are we giving our children? What is the value that we give to life? What is the value of life in the womb, or of that disabled person who cannot contribute to the economy of the country; what is the value of the elderly person who is unable to recognise those around him and is living in a world of his own? How do we define love to our children? Am I always the priority, in whatever I choose?  What is the message that we convey when we hear news of yet another boat full of people from another country, trying to reach somewhere else to better their lives? How do we look upon these people, when we meet them on the bus, in the street, in the shops, when they collect our rubbish from behind our doors, when we employ them for some maintenance in the house, or in our businesses? What is our contribution to the poor? What do we teach our children, about respecting the environment? What priority is Jesus given, in our lives? What is our attitude when we go to mass, when we send our children for catechesis? We need the Holy Spirit, in all these decisions. Without the Holy Spirit, individualism and egoism will reign and rule our life, and the way that we nurture our children.

The Holy Spirit unites us as the Body of Christ. This is how we are greeted in every mass: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

At Baptism and Confirmation, we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which help us to grow in the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. During these last days, in the BeKids website, resources were uploaded to help us grow in the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Pointers were also given to parents to help children in this regard. If you have not yet visited the site, go through them, and see how they can help you, with the up bringing of the children in the Christian faith. See here.

A reading from the Gospel of John (Jn 15, 26-27; 16, 12-15)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.   

The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

  1. Read the Gospel story so that you are familiar with it.
  2. Reflect on what the Gospel is saying to you. Which points would you highlight and why?
  3. To give witness, you must give testimony for something which you have experienced personally. Today, Jesus is asking us to be his witnesses. So, he is first and foremost, inviting us to get to know him better. The disciples did this and with the help of the Holy Spirit, they were true witnesses. If you are finding it difficult to deepen your relationship with Jesus, and to be his witness, ask the Holy Spirit to help you.
  4. It is not easy to be a Christian parent, however God is giving you help through the Holy Spirit to accomplish this duty. So, before correcting the children, before making a decision, before you start your day, turn to the Holy Spirit and seek his help.
  5. Together with your family find the right time to read this gospel. The environment helps, so before you start, prepare:
    i. The Bible reading from St John (15, 26-27; 16, 12-15)
    ii. A candle
    iii. Cover the table with a white cloth
    vi. A computer/laptop with the reading and clips
  6. Go through the steps with your children (2 age groups are being suggested)
  7. Feel free to adapt to your situation
  8. Be creative 😊
  9. Go to the Prayer Corner section to continue praying as a family

It has been a week since we read about Jesus going to heaven. Before doing so, Jesus had asked his friends to remain in Jerusalem, because he was going to send help, so that they would not be alone. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit? Most probably, at first, not even the apostles knew who the Holy Spirit is! Let us listen to today’s Gospel.

– YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com
  • The Holy Spirit helps us become good children
  • A bottle with bubble solution, or else mix dishwashing liquid with water and as a wand you can use pasta (macaroni) or remove the bottom from a small plastic bottle
  • Red velvet cake, or else ingredients to bake one together
  • Candles for the cake

Do you like celebrations? What do you do when you want to celebrate something?

The feast of Pentecost is a huge celebration. On that day, Jesus’ friends were gathered together. They were afraid that the soldiers would capture them and kill them. Suddenly, they felt like wind in the room and on top of their heads they saw something which looked like a flame! Most probably this gave them quite a fright, but amazingly their hair did not catch fire! Instead, they all felt great courage and they went outside to tell all those whom they met, about Jesus. On that day, many people stopped to listen to them and many, also became friends of Jesus. It was the Holy Spirit who gave them all this courage.

Why is Pentecost such a big celebration? Because today, it is the birthday of the Church! Do you know how old is the Church? More than two thousand years! We know no one who is this old! 

We said that the apostles felt the wind and saw fire. However, they did not see the Holy Spirit. Let us stop for a while and go outside, in the yard or on the roof. With you take the bottles with the bubble solution. Blow as many bubbles as you can. What is happening to the bubbles? Are they falling on the floor and bursting or are they being lifted?

They are being lifted because outside there is a breeze or the wind. We can see the bubbles going up, but we cannot see the breeze or the wind. But we know that they are there. We cannot see the wind, but we can see its effect, like for example, the leaves moving, papers which are on the ground, being blown away, the clothes handing on the roof, moving.

The Holy Spirit knew that they cold not see him, that is why they felt the wind and saw the fire, to help them understand how he could work in their lives. When we were outside and blew the bubbles, they were lifted up by the wind, which we could not see. The Holy Spirit wanted the apostles and wants us, to understand what he can do. The wind and the fire gave some sort of visibility to the Spirit’s powerful presence. What do you imagine when someone mentions the wind or fire? 

We know that the wind is powerful and when it blows it can even uproot big strong trees. It will blow the leaves away. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is also very powerful. The Holy Spirit can remove all that is not good from our lives. When we make wrong choices, we are not happy, and our life is not as beautiful. The Holy Spirit is telling us that with his help, we can make good choices, even when these are difficult to make. Moreover, fire is powerful, as much as the wind. Soon, we will start having BBQs and we will use fire. In winter, when it is cold, we use heaters and fireplaces. These too use fire. What does the fire do? The fire of the BBQ cooks our food and makes it good to eat. By using the image of fire, the Holy Spirit is telling us that he can make us good and he can purify us. When it is cold, everyone gathers around the heater or the fireplace to be warm. Through the image of the fire, the Holy Spirit, tell us that he gathers us together and helps us to be friends with each other.

We should always pray to the Holy Spirit, to help us to make good choices, to be good friends, to obey those who love us and who want us to grow up into good children. It does not need to be a long prayer, we just say, “Holy Spirit, help me” in our heart.

We said that today, it is the Church’s birthday. And what is a birthday if we do not have cake? Mummy and daddy have prepared the cake, or you might be preparing it together. Have you ever noticed that when we go to church, the priest sometimes wears green, other times, white, and sometimes even purple? Today, the priest will be wearing red. The colour red, will also help us to understand what the Holy Spirit can do in us.

What does the colour red remind you of? Most probably it will remind you of love and blood. Therefore, the first thing that the Holy Spirit will do, is help us love one other. Martyrs are those people who were ready to die, because they wanted to continue being friends with Jesus. St Paul was a martyr. The Holy Spirit gave courage to these people. The Holy Spirit gives us courage too, he gives us courage to do what is good, even when our friends make fun of us. This is why the cake is red. It reminds us of the Hoy Spirit. Decorate the cake with candles, and these will be a reminder of the fire that appeared on the apostles. When you blow the candles, you will be reminded of the wind which the apostles felt.

Wow, the Holy Spirit can really do amazing things. But to be able to do this in us, we need to allow him. Start from today, before you say something, or do something, first ask the Holy Spirit for his help.
Whilst doing the cake, listen to Holy Spirit fills me up.

Sign of the cross

Come Holy Spirit. Come into my life. Give me the courage to make good choices, to love others and to help others, like Jesus wants me to.

What is an advocate? Today, Jesus tells us that he will send an advocate. An advocate defends and protects others. Let us see what Jesus is going to tell us about the Holy Spirit, in today’s Gospel.

– YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com
  • The Holy Spirit shows us the truth, so that we believe it. He gives us courage to live it fully.
  • Balloons
  • Red velvet cake or ingredients to bake one
  • Candles for the cake

Today is the feast of Pentecost. It is derived from a word meaning fifty because we celebrate this feast, fifty days after Easter. We know what happened on this day. The disciples were afraid that the soldiers might capture them and kill them. They were together praying, when suddenly there was the sound of the wind and on each one of them they saw like tongues of fire. Furthermore, they were also filled with courage and they went outside and started telling people about Jesus and his teachings.

Who is the Holy Spirit? We know and believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. We mention the Holy Spirit, each time we make the sign of the cross and we pray the Glory Be. Whilst preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation, you will continue learning about him, because he gives us the courage to live as Jesus desires, and this sacrament asks that we become disciples of Jesus.

Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth. The Holy Spirit helps us come to know and accept what is true, even when others think differently. For example, exams will soon start, and you want to study because you want to do well. You friends are going to have an online tournament of your favourite game. They have invited you to join. What will you do? You may tell them that you want to study, and they will tell you that you already know everything, and studying is a waste of time, you will have a better time playing. What is the truth? Is what you are feeling in your heart the truth, is it the truth that now it is time to study and in summer you will have enough time to play? Or are your friends saying the truth? Let us take another example and use exams again. Your friend could not attend school these last few weeks and there is a topic in maths which he has not understood. What will you do? Will you help him? He is a bright boy, and if you help him, he could do well in the exam and take the prize for maths. If you do not help him, he might not do so well, and you get the prize instead. What would Jesus like you to do? Jesus does not want us to be selfish. The Holy Spirit will help you to overcome the temptation of not helping him. Let us now imagine that you are during the break, and one of your friends spills water on his clothes. His friends start to laugh and make fun of him. What will you do? Will you laugh or help him? The Holy Spirit will help you to see how you can be of help.

We all know these things. We know that we should not be selfish, but there is a huge difference between knowing and doing. Jesus knows that at times we find it difficult to do what is right. The Holy Spirit helped the disciples to live as Jesus wished, and he will help us too.

We are like balloons (parents prepare the balloons which are not inflated). 

What can we do with balloons? (we can decorate a room for a party, we can play with them)

Show them the uninflated balloons.

Can you do what you have just said with these balloons?

Why?

So, what needs to be done? (inflate them)

It is the same with us. There is a lot of potential in each of us to do good and to live as Jesus desires. However, on our own, we are like the balloon with no air in it. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will become like that inflated balloon, which we can now use to decorate the room or to play with. The balloon did not change, but it needed help to change so that it could be used. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we too can change to be more like Jesus.

How will we know what Jesus wishes? (allow the children to reply)

We learn from the Bible, from our catechetical meetings, from those who love us. The more we grow up, the more we form, what is called ‘conscience’. Let us recall the example related to our study or play. In your heart, you felt that you had to study. That was your conscience. Our conscience makes us feel uncomfortable when we choose to do wrong. The Holy Spirit helps us to form our conscience and to make right choices, even when this is difficult.

Today, at church you will notice the colour red. It is the liturgical colour used for feasts of the Holy Spirt and martyrs. Red reminds us of love and blood. It shows us that the Holy Spirit will help us to love God and others, even when it means making sacrifices. The martyrs gave their life because they loved God, and they did this with courage received from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us courage and strength, so that we may live as Jesus desires.

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. We always have cake for birthdays. Today we have red velvet cake to celebrate this feast. The colour reminds us of the Holy Spirit, and the candles in the Pentecost event.

Sign of the cross.

Thank you, Lord God, for the Holy Spirit and his help. Holy Spirit give us the courage to change and become more like Jesus. Holy Spirit, we believe in you and we want you to be our guide.

Continue the prayer and listen to, Spirit of God.

1. According to Jesus, someone was going to defend and lead the Apostles. How did Jesus call him?

Correct! Wrong!

2. The one sent by the Father to lead the Apostles was also described by Jesus as...

Correct! Wrong!

3. Jesus also said that this Spirit of truth...

Correct! Wrong!

4. The Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth...

Correct! Wrong!

How to use this space

God speaks to us in many ways, including through the Sunday Scripture readings. Here you will find useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday's Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.