In Sunday’s Gospel after Jesus had told the crowd he was the Living Bread, many who heard turned away and left because they did not believe him.  At Mass, we come together to listen to the divine inspired word of God in the scriptures and share in communion our belief in the risen Christ.  In the humble signs of bread and wine, changed into His Body and Blood, Christ walks beside us as our strength and our food for the journey and he enables us to become, for everyone,                                                                               witnesses of hope.   

This week at Holy Spirit, we value courage.  Most often, we associate courage with physical prowess or bravery.  In a world where it is a capital crime to communicate the Gospel or declare that you are a Christian in certain countries, it is becoming more important that we model this level of courage in our lives in order to defend our faith, especially to our children.  Courage requires us to be willing to face fear and uncertainty and many of us don’t really know what courage means.  Remember, courage is not the absence of fear; it is acting in spite of the fear.  This week we pray our students understand that with God’s protection and guidance, they have nothing to fear and can conquer anything.  

The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary:  On Sunday 22nd of August, the Church celebrates the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This celebration was established by Pope Pius XII in 1955 and was celebrated on the 31st of May.  Since 1969, it has been observed on August 22nd to stress its relationship to the Assumption (15th August) when taken up into glory, Mary became queen of heaven and earth.

God bless.

Caroline Fuller