WOW!  I thought the celebration of my 40 ^th anniversary of ordination was awesome.  Thanks to all who pitched in.  I was thrilled and my priest friends were impressed by the friendliness of our faith community.  Thank you! Thank you!  Thank You!
 
The only thing that marred the weekend was an incident after the vigil Mass outside of Church where the police had to intervene in a nasty domestic argument that seemed to have been fueled by alcohol.  It seemed that the female partner was trying to prevent the male partner from driving because he had been drinking all day on the beach.  It was not a happy scene and there was a little boy involved who seemed emotionally detached.  It probably was not the first time he had experienced such a scene.  Would a relationship with God have made a difference for this little family?  I offered to help but the woman was just too shaken, and I guess embarrassed and just shook her head no to my offer.
 
I think so many in the world today are spiritually illiterate; distant from God.  As we move towards Pentecost in two weeks, I ask you to sincerely intensify your prayer life, asking the Holy Spirit to come down and sanctify our lives and our world with his gifts:
1. Wisdom
​Wisdom is a gift that allows a person to understand things from God's point of view. In other words, Wisdom allows a person to recognize truth. A person with the Gift of Wisdom is able to take this truth and use it to glorify God by choosing Godly solutions to problems.
 
2. Understanding
People sometimes have a hard time understanding (no pun intended) how it differs from wisdom. While wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God, understanding allows us grasp, at least in a limited way, the very essence of the truths of the Catholic Faith. Through understanding, we gain a certitude about our beliefs that moves beyond faith
 
3. Counsel
​The Gift of Counsel is also known as a Gift of Right Judgment. Counsel is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. Prudence can be practiced by anyone, but counsel is supernatural. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to judge how best to act almost by intuition. Because of the gift of counsel, Christians need not fear to stand up for the truths of the Faith, because the Holy Spirit will guide us in defending those truths.
 
4. Fortitude
​The Gift of Fortitude is also known as the Gift of Courage. Through this Gift a person is no longer afraid to stand up for God and His truths. A person who has the Gift of Fortitude will stand up for good against evil and is convicted to take a stand when the occasion arises.
 
5. Knowledge
​The Gift of Knowledge allows a person to understand the meaning and purpose God has for him and to live up to this meaning. It is active.  It differs from wisdom in that it is an action, not just a desire or an ability, it is a knowing.
 
6. Piety
Piety is the perfection of the virtue of religion. While we tend to think of religion today as the external elements of our faith, it really means the willingness to worship and to serve God. Piety takes that willingness beyond a sense of duty, so that we desire to worship God and to serve Him out of love.
 
​7. Fear of the Lord
​The Gift of Fear of the Lord puts God in the proper perspective. A person with this Gift understands the greatness and awesomeness of the Lord. They want to serve Him because of who He is. A person with this Gift understands who they are and why they are here in relationship to God; In other words, everything they are is due to the wonder, love, grace, and perfection of God. Once a person understands who God is and desires to please Him, they can begin to understand things from God's point of view or have Wisdom.
 
Congratulations to Carlos Rivera and Nate Swann who were ordained Deacons this weekend.
Next Saturday at 10am, Deacon Patrick May will be ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral.  All are invited to attend this joyous Mass.
 
Finally, this weekend we pause as Americans to remember the many brave men and women who have given their lives throughout the history of our country to protect us from danger and harm.  I would invite you to attend the 8:00am Mass on Monday as a special way of honoring them.  I always find these Holiday Masses uplifting because it is evident that those who participate are there because they love the Lord.

Fr. Jerry Ragan