St. Thomas More 

& St. John Capistran 

The readings today speak of unity, mission and the gift of peace. United as the Body of Christ, we have now completed our ninety day journey from Ash Wednesday, through the waters of Baptism at Easter, to our great mission of Pentecost. Our Church is born anew in the Holy Spirit and we are sent forth to build God’s kingdom of peace and wholeness. We are ready to set things in proper relationship with God, self, others and creation. This is the peace that Jesus gives. As a parish family, this year’s faith journey was radically altered by the reality of the pandemic and we are slowly and carefully moving back to some sense of order, but we know it will be some time yet before we are back to normal. Still, we are faithful and prayerful in our mission and our hope. We are united as the living Body of Christ. Traditionally, Pentecost has been referred to as the Birthday of the Church as the apostles left the upper room and never looked back. Their work has bridged the centuries and we are the current bearers of their mission. We speak the language of true faith, great hope and unconditional love which the world needs so very much today. Let this birthday be one of our greatest beginnings ever. Jesus calls us to “Go.” We have answered, “Yes!” Unleash the Holy Spirit that lives inside your heart. Be the miracle of Christ’s love each day. This is our new beginning.

I have always loved the hope and promise of today’s Gospel message. The comforting words of Jesus that He himself is praying for us should give all of us hope especially in these difficult times. We are so accustomed to asking the saints and the Blessed Mother to intercede for us as we should, but we also know that each and every day, Jesus, our Mediator, is praying for us. This is not an idle promise, but a promise of His constant presence with us and for us. This gift of Jesus’ prayer offers us a unique opportunity to be the answer to His prayer. In his prayer, Jesus asks that we be one as He and the father are one. So do we seek unity or do we sow division? Jesus prays that we will glorify Him and the Father in word and deed. Do our words and actions reflect the ministry and word of Jesus to others? Will we joyfully and faithfully accomplish the work He has left to us? Imagine if we all became the answer to the prayer of Jesus. Our world would be so very different. We know the powerful feeling of having our prayers answered. Imagine the power and the promise of being the answer to Jesus’ prayer. Just as the Apostles gathered in a unity of prayer in the upper room, we too can gather in a unity of heart, mind and spirit. We can be of one accord, one spirit in one faith. if we dare to answer the prayer of Jesus as faithfully as he answers our own prayer. A few notes on our current status: In the news last week, there was a press release from the Diocese regarding the gradual reopening of our Churches, This gives us much hope for the future, but the reality is that this reopening is more difficult than it seems. Last Friday, each pastor received a document entitled “Moving Forward Together” which explains procedures and guidelines for the reopening of our parishes. The steps are quite involved and will require much work. We will not be going back to normal for quite some time. I ask for your continued patience as we begin this process and to understand that everything we do will be done with utmost care as to protect your health and your safety as well as that of our staff. For this to work, we all must follow the required safety procedures. Thank you for your patience and cooperation. Fr. Peter