Pentecost Sunday - Year A
Sunday May 31, 2020
PENTECOST
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak. (Acts 2)
In the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. (1 Cor)
As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy
Spirit. ( John 20)
The feast of Pentecost
celebrates the unseen,
immeasurable presence of God in
our lives and in our Church - the
ruah that animates us to do the
work of the Gospel of the Risen
One, the ruah that makes God’s
will our will, the ruah of God
living in us and transforming us
so that we might bring his life
and love to our broken world.
God “breathes” his Spirit into our
souls that we may live in his life and love; God ignites the
“fire” of his Spirit within our hearts and minds that we may
seek God in all things in order to realize the coming of his
reign.
Today we celebrate the gift of God’s Spirit: the Spirit that
enables us to love as selflessly and as totally as God loved us
enough to become one of us, to die for us and to rise for us;
the Spirit that takes us beyond empty legalisms and static
measurements of “mine” and “yours” to create a community
of compassion, reconciliation and justice centered in “us”;
the Spirit that enables us to re-create our world in the peace
and mercy of God.
In Jesus’ “breathing” upon them the new life of the Spirit,
the community of the Resurrection – the Church – takes
flight. That same Spirit continues to “blow” through today’s
Church to give life and direction to our mission and ministry
to preach the Gospel to every nation, to proclaim the
forgiveness and reconciliation in God's name, to baptize all
humanity into the life of Jesus' Resurrection.
The Spirit of God enables the Eleven – and us – to do
things they could not do their own: to understand the “truth”
of God’s great love for his people that is embodied in the
Risen Christ, and then to boldly proclaim the Gospel of
Christ. The Spirit empowers us with the grace to do the
difficult work of Gospel justice, forgiveness and compassion.
The miracle of Pentecost (Acts 2) is the Spirit’s
overcoming the barriers of language and perception to open
not only the minds of the Apostles’ hearers but their hearts as
well to understanding and embracing the Word of God.
THE POWER OF FAMILY MEALS
(excerpts from article by Tom McGrath for Loyola Press)
My parents weren’t big on having too many rules, but one
of the few non-negotiables in our home was that we were all
at the dinner table at 5:15 pm. I’d drop what I was doing and
set off at top speed, desperately trying to make it home by
5:15, the appointed dinner hour in our home. I’m so glad
they insisted.
According to the mountains of research, children who
enjoy regular meals with their family do better in school,
Congratulations on the Anniversary
of your Priestly Ordination!
We extend our congratulations to Fr. Chris on his
24th Anniversary of Priesthood. On May 31st 1996,
on the Feast of the Visitation of the BVM, our pastor
was ordained to the ministerial priesthood at Sacred
Heart Cathedral in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan by
Bishop Blaise Morand. Fr. Chris, we thank you for
your faithful and loving service to the Church.
Mass Intentions for June 2 - June 7, 2020
As we gather, let us remember and pray for . . .
nd
Tues. ~ ………………………………………. June 2
+ Malcolm Tubener (by Nancy Winslow)
Wed. ~ St. Charles Lwanga & Companions June 3rd
+ Vito Di Iorio
(by Helen & Gino Francavilla)
Thurs. ~ + Maria Ghirardi (by the Family) June 4th
Fri. ~ …………... St. Boniface……………. June 5th
+ Matteo Mancini (by the Family)
………………………………………. June 6th
Sat. ~
For the People of St. Helen Parish
Sun. ~ ………The Most Holy Trinity…..…. June 7th
Intn’s of Hendriks & deKoning
Families - L&D
(by Helen & Andy Hendriks)
+ Camillo Ditomasso
(by Maria Ditomasso)
exhibit fewer anti-social tendencies, and are more successful
with their peers. They are far more likely to graduate high
school and far less likely to take up smoking, use alcohol or
drugs, or experiment with sex. The list of benefits goes on
and on.
And it’s no surprise. We bring all our hungers to the table -
physical, emotional, social, and spiritual—and all of them
can be fed. The meal doesn’t have to be like a Norman
Rockwell painting - everyone smiling around an orderly
table. There may even be teasing and taunting and spilled
milk. It doesn’t matter. The fact that you are there together,
sharing your lives, and being present to one another is how
the magic happens.
Family mealtime prepares us to be really present to one
another so we can better appreciate the Real Presence of
Christ in the Eucharist. It can be a school where we learn to
pray about what really matters to us, day by day, and the
place where we practice forgiveness, both giving and
receiving. It’s the place to bring our needs and know they
will be met. In effect, it becomes a great place to prepare our
minds and hearts to move from the family table to the table
of the Lord in our parish.
So after all these years I’m glad my parents were so strict
about the family meal. My wife and I held fast to this
practice with our own daughters. And that memory of me
running frantically always ends well—catching my breath
and taking my place as my family says together, “Bless us O
Lord, and these, thy gifts…”
 DONATIONS DURING COVID-19
1. Pre-Authorized giving (monthly automatic withdrawal): contact the office

2. E-transfer: use our business email address with your

bank: donations@sthelenscatholic.ca
If you would like to use this convenient method through your bank, please follow these
instructions (some banks charge a fee):
Go online and log into your bank account. Select Interac e-transfer and select a
recipient – the first time you will have to add recipient by putting in
donations@sthelenscatholic.ca (after the first time it will then stay on your list of
recipients). Input amount to send and complete the transaction. Note in the memo area
what your donation is for; Sunday Offertory (SO), Facility Maintenance (FM) and
Building Fund (BF). (Please include your ID# in the memo - contact the office if you
do not have a parish ID.)
Example - SO $20 One transaction can be made for all three if you wish. Such a
notation could look like this: SO $xx, FM $xx, BF $xx. If your transaction does not
work the first time, please try the next day as the Diocese can only receive a set amount
of donations in a 24-hour period. If you have any questions, please email or call the
office.

3. Regular mail: send your weekly offertory envelope or cheque payable to St. Helen
Church to:
St. Helen Church
4106 Mountain St.
Beamsville, ON L0R 1B7

4. Drop off: This option is not encouraged during the COVID 19 pandemic.
If absolutely necessary, you may drop off your envelope by calling the office to arrange a
time.

5. Credit card or Paypal (Canada Helps link): https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/49448

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/119109791RR0006-st-helens-parish/
(tax receipt is issued by Canada Helps, they retain a nominal percentage as fee)

COVID 19 pandemic
Thank you for considering the financial needs of our parish during the COVID 19 pandemic. We
understand and appreciate that financial pressure on families is different today than it was even a
few months ago. We are also carefully managing the expenses at the parish and are deeply
grateful for any help you can provide. Thank you and be assured of our continued prayers and
best wishes.