Happy Birthday

At the end of the Easter Season, fifty days after the celebration of Easter Sunday, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Penticost, recalling the moment when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to empower the apostles, and therefore the moment when the Church, as we know it, was born.

Throughout the centuries, music used for this celebration has become almost as well-known as the hymns we use for Easter Sunday and the rest of the Easter Triduum.

• Veni Creator Spiritus (Come Creator Spirit) is a traditional hymn used for Pentecost since it includes the text of the Pentecost sequence, often recited or sung just before the proclamation of the gospel

In more recent times, adaptations of the Sequence have given birth to other expressions of prayer to the Holy Spirit. Among the most well-known places for prayer especially with young people, the community of Taizé France figures prominently. Their music library, already voluminous, continues to grow and their website allows pilgrims young and old to experience just a little morsel of what it might be like if we were all gathered together in prayer.

• Veni Sancte Spiritus has been written, sung, rewritten and reused by literally millions of us pray-ers all over the world, all with permission of the brothers of Taizé who are most generous in sharing their talents so that we can all experience the peace of prayer in the presence of the Spirit.

My homily for this weekend, entitled Speaking my language, attempts to help us meditate upon the fact that through the gift of the Holy Spriit, God speaks to every heart, calling us all to be one in him. At the time of posting, the text of the homily is ready for viewing, but unfortunately, there seem to be some technical difficulties with the podcast. I'll let you know as soon as that part is ready.