Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Loughborough

31st May 2020   Pentecost Sunday  

Christianity is unusual among the world’s ancient religions in that it doesn’t have a sacred language.

In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke tells us that the disciples, “…began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.” The truth which the Spirit brings can be spoken in any language, to any people.

Scripture scholars often point out that the gift of tongues at Pentecost reverses the catastrophe of Babel in the Old Testament when God threw the peoples into confusion by giving them foreign languages as a punishment for trying to achieve heaven by worldly means. Language became a sign of difference and separation between nations and would become a cause of misunderstanding and conflict between groups of human beings.

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes to put things right; to re-establish the proper relations between people of different nations – and God.

It seems to me that there are two important lessons to be learned from that first Christian Pentecost. First that God is beyond race or nationality. He speaks through the Holy Spirit to every human being on the planet and he speaks to them in a language they can understand. Nobody is excluded from God’s love because of their language or nationality.

Second, by speaking to the many nations gathered in Jerusalem in their own language, the Holy Spirit is demonstrating that human individuality is something to be celebrated, not smothered. Those who took the Gospel to foreign lands did not try to extinguish local customs and cultural celebrations where they were wholesome, they borrowed them!  Among the things I am missing during this lockdown Spring are the well dressings in my native county of Derbyshire. These go back to a time before the first Christian missionaries arrived. They were pagan celebrations to placate the water sprites and ensure the wells would continue to run. The missionaries didn’t stop the well dressings – they “baptised” them. On Whit Sunday at Tissington, the village wells are adorned with tableaux made from flower petals, celebrating Christian scenes. This is an example of what scholars call “inculturation.” The Church celebrates difference, individuality and culture. She develops them rather than replacing expressions of human creativity.

Pentecost is often described as the “birthday” of the Church, which is a perfectly reasonable notion but it is also the beginning of a new relationship between all peoples and God. It is inclusive, based on love, co-operation and solidarity rather than conflict and misunderstanding.

The work of the Holy Spirit continues.

Masses this week will continue without a congregation. Prayer intentions for the week ahead are as follows

Sundays 30th May         Pentecost	People of the Parish
Monday 31st May Mary, Mother of the Church	Ray Holland R.I.P.
Tuesday 1st June Feria	Fr. Neil McLaughlin R.I.P.
Wednesday 2nd June St. Charles Lwanga etc.	Canon John Duckett R.I.P.
Thursday 3rd June Christ the High Priest	Fr. Frank Gavin R.I.P.
Friday 4th June St. Boniface.	Fr. Andrew Murdoch R.I.P.
Saturday 5th June     Feria	Fr. Paul Dynan R.I.P.

Weekly News

Re-opening of Churches.

Discussions are continuing between Faith Leaders and the government and no clear dates or guidelines have yet emerged but it is likely that only some of our churches will be able to re-open in the first phase. This is likely to be larger churches with active members who can supervise social distancing. Please watch the website for any further news.

Parish Finance.

After years of looking after our parish financial records, Rowena Gibbons is taking a well-earned retirement. If anyone would like to continue in supporting the parish with the finance records, please speak to Fr Paul.

Stay safe and keep in touch with those who are vulnerable, elderly or isolated.

God bless,

Fr. Paul.

Please find additional notices to refer to by following the links

Nottingham Diocese Interaction News:- https://sacredheartloughboro.org/interaction-nottingham-diocese/