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The Holy Spirit is leading us through change into new opportunities for growth . On this Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, let us recall that they did not always agree; but their partnership in mission laid the foundations of the Church of Rome. We join their partnership in a Church that has grown through many difficult changes. But as Jesus promised, “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16: 18). St. Peter and St. Paul, pray for us!

This weekend is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. Yes, Jesus is still with us! He is with us at every mass we celebrate. “The real presence” means that in reality Jesus makes his dwelling in us when we receive him as Holy Communion.

When we want to look for role models to exemplify these traits, we only need to look to the Holy Trinity. For example, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit love us unconditionally. So, it’s appropriate that Father’s Day this year falls on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Even though this Solemnity is only once a year, the Holy Trinity should be in our lives 365 days a year. For example, we recite the name of each member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit when we make the sign of the cross. We reference each member of the Trinity when we recite the Gloria and the Creed. Christians are baptized in the names of the Holy Trinity. So, the Holy Trinity’s fingerprints are all over our Catholic faith.

Jesus filled the infant Church with the Holy Spirit to continue His mission, and He continues to do so today. On that first Pentecost, after hearing our first Pope preach his first sermon (Acts 2: 14-40), about three thousand souls “received his word and were baptized” Acts 2: 41). Many of them were probably among the crowd some fifty days earlier crying for Jesus to be crucified. Now they knew why. What made the difference? The Holy Spirit of truth and power, of love and forgiveness; the Spirit that the ascended body of Jesus released from heaven upon His disciples like tongues of fire (cf. Acts 2: 1-4). The counter-cultural courageous witness of dynamic disciples transformed Jerusalem that day, and it continues to transform our world.