Happy Pentecost!

The Solemn Feast of Pentecost is often referred to as the "Birthday of the Church", the day we celebrate the gift of God's Holy Spirit to Jesus' followers, empowering them to go forth and continue his ministry, everywhere.

When you come to Mass this weekend, you'll notice that the vestments and the altar and ambo cloths are red- a color representing the Holy Spirit (think 'flame', 'tongues of fire'). It would be great if everyone wore red that day, in honor of the Holy Spirit!

And as you prepare to celebrate this feast, here's something you can do as a family (thanks to RCL Benzinger "Faith First for Families" resources): read the second reading  1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 out loud and then try this:

Sketch a simple figure of a body and call it by your family name. Label parts of the body such as ears, eyes, hands, feet, etc. and consider which members of the family are those parts of the whole body. For example, who is a good listener? Whose eyes are good a finding lost items? Who helps out at home doing extra chores, and who walks the dog? Certainly more than one person can claim a part. When you are finished, you will marvel
at how many gifts you have together as a family.

And you can finish up by offering God a short prayer of thanks for all the gifts you have as a family!