The Church in Malta extends its invitation to all Christians to come together for a diocesan celebration, on the eve of Pentecost, next Saturday, 22nd May, 2010, in the square opposite the Gharghur Parish Church. This year the celebration is closely related to the Year dedicated to the Priesthood, which was announced by Pope Benedict XVI last year. In fact, the theme which has been chosen for the celebration is “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because he has anointed me to preach the Good News (Luke 4, 18).
The Celebration will be presided over by Archbishop Paul Cremona OP, who has just returned to Malta, following his Pastoral Visit to the Maltese emigrants in Canada and the United States. The activity will commence at 7.30 p.m., with a feature which has been purposely prepared for this occasion, followed by the celebration of Mass at 8pm.
The feast of Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. After they received the Spirit, the Apostles began to spread the Good News of the Word throughout the whole world, leading to the inception of the first Christian communities.
Now that we have been urged by Pope Benedict XVI to follow along the path of our faith, this celebration is an opportunity for us to respond to the exhortation of of the Pope, who, during his homily at the Granaries, Floriana, encouraged all Maltese Christians to nurture the faith and the values which were bequeathed to us by the Apostle Paul, as well as to carry on exploring the depths and the richness of this gift. This will ensure that we succeed in transmitting it, not only to our children, but also to all those other people whom we encounter.
