My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As we approach the great feast of Pentecost, I feel called in my prayer to write to you about the Holy Spirit. I have preached in the past about the importance of a personal relationship with each person of the Trinity. Yet a relationship with the Holy Spirit can seem difficult because, unlike the Father or the Son, we do not often see images of the Holy Spirit depicted as a person. A relationship with the Spirit, though, is essential to our lives as disciples. In fact, one of the themes that emerged during our recent archdiocesan discernment process was a clear desire from people to have a greater relationship with the Holy Spirit, to know the gifts and charisms that he gives, and how to use them to advance God’s kingdom on Earth.