Sunday Reflection: The Spirit among us

The beauty of these middle days of May lends itself perfectly to today's Feast of Pentecost -- it feels like even the trees are rejoicing in the presence of God's creative Spirit! The yellows and purples and pinks are stunning... and the Thunderchild crabapples like the one at the right are showstoppers by themselves!

Every time beauty stops us in our tracks, it is, without question, a spiritual experience. Beauty speaks to us more deeply than mere words because it touches us at a level where head, heart and gut all reside together. A stunning view, a whiff of heavenly fragrance, a haunting melody or a silent stillness, an exquisite flavour, or the caress of a loved one -- all are examples of the Spirit's ability to reach us through our 5 senses and lead us to our spiritual 6th sense where God resides in us.

Tonight, we will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost with music, silence, food and friendship (7 p.m. at Assumption Church, 9040 95 Avenue, and you're most welcome to join us). We will sing the chant below to invite the Spirit to heal our world's heartaches -- and our own. It is one of those haunting melodies that reminds me that God's creative Spirit is always with us; all we need is to ask:

Come, Holy Spirit,
be with me today.

Help me to say
what you want me to say.

Help me to do
what you need me to do.

Let me rest in your love
and let others rest, too.

+Amen.