St. Joseph the Worker

Dear Parishioners:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CATHOLIC CHURCH!!!   HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!!

 What a great day for us!  It is OUR Birthday!  Over 2000 years ago, the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles in the Upper Room.  The result?  Our Church was born.  That Pentecost event enabled the frightened followers of the Risen Lord to have the courage and determination to go out into the world and share the Good News.  Was it easy?  NO!  But, they did it because that Spirit of God propelled them forward, beyond themselves, to think about that Easter message being proclaimed to the nations.

What does a birthday celebration include?  Fun, celebration, people, food, music, etc.  And, stories are shared and relived.  WELL—the Church’s celebration is just like that, if we think about it.

Where do we gather to celebrate this special Feast?  In a church.  A beautiful space to come together for a very special party.

We celebrate the Lord’s Death and Resurrection each time we gather.  We rejoice that He died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us eternal life.

We gather with other people.  Our Celebration is not by oneself, but with other Catholics/Christians who come to worship our Lord.

We have food, THE food of the Lord’s Body and Blood.  At each Mass, the Lord is there to provide us with the Bread of Life and the Cup of Eternal Salvation.

And we have music!  Our choir and musicians help lift our minds and hearts to praise our Lord in song.  The music enables us to pray and to rejoice in the Presence of Jesus Christ.

Finally, as a birthday calls us to remember the person being honored, we remember each time how the Lord gave His very life for our own, and we say thanks.

So—you can see how our Church’s birthday, Pentecost, is like a solemn and holy party, during which we come sing, praise, remember, dine, and celebrate. 

May we never miss the opportunity to come together in the Spirit of Christ to grow in our Catholic faith, so that we can leave the Eucharist to show others the Lord.  Let us do just as the apostles did on that 1st
Pentecost—go and share the Good News with a renewed spirit, the Holy Spirit of God.     

 Your “Pentecost” Priest and Pastor, Father Joe