Catholic Community of Jeffersonville St. Augustine
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Catholic Community of Jeffersonville St. Augustine & Sacred Heart

Homily
by
Father Thomas E. Clegg

Pentecost Sunday A       2008                     St. Augustine Sacred Heart

I want to begin by wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all of our mothers,

   Grandmothers, Godmothers…

I thought perhaps for mother’s day it might be good to hear holy humor

   from some children. These are children’s views of marriage

When asked exactly what marriage is,

   6 year-old Eric said it best when he said,

      "Marriage is when you get to keep your girl

           and don't have to give her back to her parents"

When asked how a person decide whom to marry, Nine year old Kelly said,

     "You flip a coin, and heads means you stay with him

          and tails means you try the next one."

On the other hand, Carolyn, age 8 has a different plan,

  "My mother says to look for a man who is kind....That's what I'll do....

       I'll find somebody who's kinda tall and kinda handsome."

10 year old Martin was asked, What Do Most People Do on a Date?

  He said, "On the first date, they just tell each other lies,

     and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."

When asked When Is It Okay to Kiss Someone? 10 year old Allen had it figured out:

     "You should never kiss a girl unless you have enough money

          to buy her a ring and her own VCR,

             'cause she'll want to have videos of the wedding."

Concerning the great Debate: Is It Better to Be Single or Married?

"You should ask the people who read Cosmopolitan" -Kirsten, ten years old

"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need somebody to clean up after them" -Anita, nine years old

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." -Will, seven years old

Once again, Happy Mother’s Day---you created them!

In addition to Mother’s Day today is also the great Feast of Pentecost…

   The Feast where we celebrate the Holy Spirit coming upon

      and guiding our Church and us throughout our lives.

I thought today rather than try to tell you what the Holy Spirit is

    and how the Holy Spirit works,

      I thought I would give you some evidence of the Holy Spirit

         as I have seen the Spirit at work in our two parishes.

You see, the Holy Spirit is at work when someone

   in one of our parishes dies. People show us at the funeral home,

     at the funeral, they act as servers or greeters for the Mass,

       they offer prayers at the funeral home,

          they provide a luncheon after the funeral….

they might prepare a meal for the family, or drop some food by their house.

     My friends, that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is at work when I ask for volunteers

   for some project or some committee and people do come forward:

We had over 10 people volunteer to help us jump-start

   the Liturgy Committee at St. Augustine,

between our two parishes over 15 people take communion to our shut-ins.

    Over thirty people have come forward to discern

       serving on one of our commissions or to run for parish council.

That’s the Holy Spirit at work.

The Holy Spirit is at work, when a mom, dad and their three kids,

   decide on their own, as an act of service, pull weeds and put mulch in the

      flower beds around the entrance to St. Augustine Parish Hall—

         even more-so when you consider they aren’t parishioners here.

And while I’m at it, the Holy Spirit is present when people volunteer

   to cut grass and landscape and tend the gardens at Sacred Heart

       and out at the cemetery at St. Augustine.

And while I’m at it people who volunteer to clean the Churches,

  or serve as sacristans on both Campuses, that’s the Holy Spirit.

It’s the Holy Spirit that guides us as we go through the changes

    of this past year and yet continue to fill up all four Masses.

It is the Holy Spirit that enables many of us to see beyond

   the parochialism of our parish and their parish to begin to ask

      what might God be trying to teach all of us during this time of transition.

When you ask that kind of question, that’s the Holy Spirit.

It’s God’s Spirit among us that allows us to worship together

   Week in and week out,

      Singing songs of praise, offering words of prayer and signs of peace.

It is God’s Spirit that allows us to laugh together, cry together, hurt together,

    Celebrate together, study and learn together,

        but most of all to break bread together…time and time again.

That my friends, is what we celebrate today---on Pentecost Sunday---

   God’s Spirit working among us right here in Jeffersonville, Indiana---

       Today---Tomorrow---and Always!

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Catholic Community of Sacred Heart | 1840 East Eighth Street, Jeffersonville, Indiana | 47130
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