Reflection From

Fr. Davis

May 24, 2026

This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit! We celebrate the moment that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles as visible flames of fire in the Upper Room. The coming of the Holy Spirit marked the birthday of the Church. The Apostles, who had been living in fear, were given the grace to go out and boldly proclaim in many different languages the saving truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

St. John, in this week‟s Gospel, tells us, “The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, „Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.‟ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, „Receive the Holy Spirit.‟” (John 20:20-22) It was this gift of the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, which allowed the Apostles to travel throughout the world, including areas of modern day Iraq, Iran, India, Ethiopia, Greece, and Asia Minor, proclaiming the Gospel. It was the Holy Spirit that allowed the Apostles to witness to their faith even to the point of martyrdom. It was the gift of the Spirit that resulted in the Gospel message of Christ spreading not through force or coercion, but through the preaching and teaching of those early Apostles. It was their witness of faith and love that resulted in the conversion of cultures and empires to Christinaity. We see the effects of this transformation most powerfully in the city of Rome, Italy, which was once a center of pagan worship. Rome, once covered in pagan temples, following the conversion of the Roman empire to Christianity, is now covered with Catholic churches, more than 900.

The same Spirit which prompted the conversion of civilizations continues to come upon us today. Each of us, through our Baptism, has received the gift of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of God within our soul. We need only to receive and participate in this great gift! We have access to the same grace and power that the Apostles had. Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the fullness of the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, and we are prepared for our God given mission in the world. This past Friday, we celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation here at St. Gregory the Great, and through the anointing with Holy Chrism by Bishop Enrique Delgado, over 70 candidates received the fullness of the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Bishop anointed the foreheads of those who received the Sacrament and spoke the words, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

In our Baptism and through the Sacrament of Confirmation, we are anointed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and are given the grace to fulfill our God given mission for the spreading of the Gospel in the midst of the world today. The gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, Fear of the Lord, and Knowledge are poured into our souls. We are given the ability to discern what is right, make good judgments, and to grasp the truths of the faith. We are given the grace to give and receive good advice, make correct moral choices, and to courageously stand up for our faith in the midst of adversity. The gift of Piety provides us with a deep reverence for God and the ability to lead a life of worship and prayer. Fear of the Lord and Knowledge allow us, respectively, to experience wonder and awe in the Presence of God and to understand the mystery of God‟s Divine Revelation. On this celebration of the Feast of Pentecost, we pray for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that our hearts and the hearts of many may be converted and come to know the powerful love of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.

Father John

Read More