Pentecost

Catholic faith is not restricted to what is revealed by Jesus in his earthly ministry. In the gospel today we hear: "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth." (Jn 16: 13) The Holy Spirit, whose presence is recognized by the fruits of the Spirit that we hear of in the second reading, continues to be mediated through the Church which prolongs the Incarnation in the world. This mediation allows for the Church to be guided and informed by the Holy Spirit. Every Sunday we call done the Holy Spirit to transform the bread and wine we bring into the substantial presence of the Lord. Likewise, all of the other sacraments bring about changes so as to further the mission of the Church and nourish us as members of Christ's body. Thus, when we recite the Nicene Creed, subsequent to professing our faith in the Holy Spirit we also say: "I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church." We can believe in the Church, even though its members can be sinful or misguided, because it is guided by the Holy Spirit and does not deceive us. No one can fully understand the mystery of Christ at work in the Church but we do know that when we are true to the teachings of Jesus and open to the Holy Spirit we are the presence of Christ to a world which badly needs the joy and love that comes from encountering the Lord.