Today is the Feast of Pentecost – the birthday of the church – and the day we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives. From that first Pentecost in Jerusalem the early church grew into communities sharing everything in common.

It was said of them, “See how they love one another.”

Last night in his address to an ecumenical Pentecost Vigil simultaneously broadcast from Jerusalem, Buenos Aires, Rome and Topeka (Kansas), Pope Francis said:

“Tonight more than ever the words ‘see how they love one another’ resound in me. How sad it is when it is said of Christians, ‘see how they fight.’

What happened to us? We are so divided. We have broken into a thousand pieces what God made with so much love, compassion and tenderness…

Today we all need to be witnesses to the love of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us allow ourselves to be changed by the Holy Spirit, in order to change the world.

Let us pray together: Come, Holy Spirit. Come Spirit of love and change the face of the earth – and change my heart!”  Pope Francis

Here’s to letting the Holy Spirit change our hearts with the power of Love that unifies, so we may go forth and be change agents of unity and peace.

grace, peace & Pentecost power

Virginia  : )

“Let us open our hearts to gift of the Holy Spirit, which spurs us to go out, to witness to Love that always precedes us with mercy.” Pope Francis