Pentecost Sunday, 2025

Two weeks ago, I attended a Holy Hour for priestly vocations. It opened up with Eucharistic adoration, we prayed Evening Prayer together, a priest spoke about what led up to his deciding to become a priest—a story that was actually very inspiring and incredibly down to earth; another priest then blessed us with the Eucharist, and, finally, we went downstairs for a light dinner.

The purpose of the night was to gather men who were discerning becoming priests. And, honestly, I wasn't super motivated to be there, but I wanted to support my priest brother in the prayer service he was leading. I kind of felt like I was doing him a favor by showing up.


And, at this prayer service, there were actually more priests than guys discerning the priesthood. Regardless, it was a really positive night for me because something very powerful happened: I felt Jesus touch my heart. I felt Jesus, as He was exposed in the Blessed Sacrament, move me. Specifically, Jesus gave me the fortitude to do something that I really didn't have the motivation to do.


And, I’m not going to get into what it was but, I will say, God has done things like this for me multiple times, that is, when I sit in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, who, right now, is in that tabernacle, Jesus changes my life. And I don’t think there’s a more accurate way of putting it: Jesus has literally changed my life several times after giving Him the time of day by sitting in front of Him, whether He’s in the tabernacle or exposed in a monstrance on the altar.


And, I would say, my experience that night was also of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of God who has the power to change lives if we give Him a chance.


If we’re too busy to make it for Mass each and every week; if we’re too busy to go to Confession; if we’re too busy to sit in front of Jesus for any amount of time: Then we’re too busy.


The Holy Spirit isn’t going to force certain blessings upon you if your arms and hands aren’t open. God will offer, and God will never stop offering, but He needs you to freely accept, and it takes a decision of your will to be open to His life-changing power that He wishes you to experience. 


…That night of the prayer service, I was barely willing to be there, but I made it. And I got to experience a life-changing affect from God.


And you will experience the same if you haven’t already: God will make possible things that you never thought could be.


In the Gospel, Jesus is in front of His Apostles, He breathes the Holy Spirit on them, and gives them the authority to forgive sins. How is that even possible? Because God makes it so.


…Let the Holy Spirit change your life by giving the Holy Spirit the time of day.




Scripture readings for this day: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060825-Day.cfm

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