Community Word
The Holy Spirit is the Breath of God and the Power who transforms our life in Christ.
Order
“Live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16)

Reflection
In June, we commemorate three significant feasts which celebrate our Christian faith. We ended the month of May with the Ascension of our Lord to heaven. It is subsequently followed by Pentecost Sunday (Descent of the Holy Spirit), Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). Celebrating these feasts brings our heart and mind to the heavenly realm and allows us a deeper understanding of God. As we reflect on each of these feast days, God’s presence is rekindled in our hearts and we are constantly reminded of the fullness of His love for man. We see the role of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity and how God is mindful of man to bring man to a relationship with Him. Jesus has said: “Everything that the Father has is mine… he will take from what is mine and declare it to you,” (Jn16:15). Thus our community word for June tells us – The Holy Spirit is the Breath of God and the Power who transforms our life in Christ.
For Pentecost Sunday, our theme tells us – Our life is transformed when the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit are in us. The Father sent us His Spirit as Jesus promised so that the fullness of God’s love with His spiritual gifts and fruit, will dwell in us, to infill us, to transform and empower us. When Christ’s disciples received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day, their doubts and fears were transformed into certainty and boldness in that they were able to continue the ministry of Jesus and preached the Good News to the ends of the earth despite trials and persecution. Thus, this day marks the beginning of the Church. We receive the same Holy Spirit during our sacramental baptism, nurturing us with His spiritual gifts and yielding the spiritual fruit that transforms us into becoming a new creation in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. When we faithfully share the gifts and fruit through witnessing, evangelization and mission works, we will be able to realize this promise – “When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth,” (Ps 104:30).
On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, our theme is – Our life is transformed when we embrace the love of God that is poured into our hearts. The fundamental doctrine of our Christian faith tells us that we believe in the Blessed Trinity who is one God in three Divine Persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They have distinct roles: God the Father is the Creator, God the Son is the Savior and God the Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier. Perfect and unconditional love is the common character of each Person. Our limited mind will find it difficult to grasp the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, but if we open our hearts, we will understand that God’s great love is the reason for all of His actions and sending Jesus to save us is God’s expression of such love. As redeemed people, cleansed by Jesus’ death and resurrection and anointed by the Holy Spirit, we are transformed to be His precious possession. We are called into that perfect relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in this promise of the Lord – “Everything that the Father has is mine…he will take from what is mine and declare it to you,” (Jn 16:15).
Our life is transformed when we receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist in remembrance of Him – is the theme for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. We recall in the last supper, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist in the breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine, as He told His apostles – “This is my body that is for you…this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often… in remembrance of me,” (1 Cor 11:24-25). The body and blood of Jesus has been offered for our redemption and His sacrificial love is manifested and remembered in the Eucharist, in the transubstantiation of the bread and wine. By our baptism, we become the temples of the Holy Spirit and we need to be nurtured physically and spiritually. Holy Communion gives us the grace to be strong in mind, body and spirit, most especially in times of trials and tribulation. Jesus in His love for us continues to nourish us, giving us real food which is His body and blood in the form of the sacred host, and by receiving Him we remember His love on the cross. It is His promise that, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes,” (1 Cor 11:26).
Finally, for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the theme is – Our life is transformed when we fix our eyes on Jesus and live by the Spirit. As faithful Christians, we have become a new creation in the image and likeness of the Lord, sustained by God’s sanctifying grace and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We are then led to develop the desire to bring our relationship with the Lord to a higher level which leads to discipleship. We are impelled to focus our eyes on Jesus, to live in the Spirit and start a committed journey of deep faith. Living in the presence of God strengthens our faith as we follow the path He has laid for us, believing that everything will go as He plans, and be rewarded with this promise – “You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence the delights at your right hand forever,” (Ps. 16:11).
Transformation in Christ will only happen if we allow the Holy Spirit to empower us. St. Paul tells us – “Live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh,” (Gal 5:16).
Readings
June 5, 2022 – Acts 2:1-11/ Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34/ 1 Cor 12:3B-7, 12-13/ Jn 20:19-23
June 12, 2022 – Prv 6:22-31/ Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9/ Rom 5:1-5/ Jn 16:12-15
June 19, 2022 – Gen 14:18-20/ Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4/ 1 Cor 11:23-26/ Lk 9:11B-17
June 26, 2022 – 1 Kgs 19:16B, 19-21/ Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11/ Gal 5:1, 13-18/ Lk 9:51-62