Deacon John: Mission Monday - Did you receive the Holy Spirit?

Fr Matt Anscombe our mission leader

"We believe in the Holy spirit, the Lord the Giver of life, who proceeds from the father and the Son." Nicene Creed

I was up early this morning to get across to Yate for our breakfast Mass at ST Paul's. It was well worth the early start a good crowd, a wonderful Mass with lots to think about in the homily. Today we welcomed and reflect on the Holy Spirit. We asked what power the spirit has in our lives? What gifts we are given? And what we will pray for this Pentecost?

Then a fantastic breakfast cooked by Fr Jim. He was up at 4:30 to prepare the sausages, bacon, eggs, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, hash browns, toast, tea and coffee. Thank you :-)

After breakfast it was onto St Lawrence in Chipping Sodbury for the next Mission Mass, same Spirit different congregation. As the mission moves between our parishes it takes with it a cross, and at each stop we add to the cross prayers written on colourful squares of paper. By the end of the week it will be filled front and back with the hopes and intentions of our communities. It's my prayer that by the end of the week we will also all be filled but with the Holy Spirit, ready to go out into our world, ready to proclaim our faith to that world.

One thing that was particularly special for me today was seeing familiar faces in different locations. We are a community of parishes and the mission is coming to all of us and we are coming to it, it was lovely today to see people travelling and mingling.