Every year, on the vigil of Pentecost, the Church in Malta unites to celebrate this solemn feast, which commemorates the founding of the universal Church.  This year’s celebration, for which hundreds of people attended, was held in the square opposite the Gharghur Parish Church.

In his homily, Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. linked together the feast of Pentecost, and the closing ending of the Year dedicated to the Priesthood.  He thanked all those members of the clergy who have offered up their lives to God in his Church, in order to lovingly fulfill the mission which has been entrusted to them. He said: “Their first duty is to accomplish God’s plan for salvation – a plan which Christ brought to fruition by his death and resurrection”.  The Archbishop prayed that the Holy Spirit would descend upon them in order to fortify them and urged Christians to support them by their prayers.

Archbishop Cremona described how God’s plan for mankind is beautiful and powerful; however at the same time, it demands a high level of commitment on the part of Christians, who need to cooperate in order to bring this plan to fulfillment.  In order facilitate this plan, God the Father sent us his Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as a gift, in order that Christ’s teachings may be realized through human beings.  The Archbishop described how the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost, empowered them to put Christ’s words into action.  He explained that God’s ’agenda’ is one of love – it is there for each and every person, although some in particular are called to the priesthood, so that this mission may be fulfilled.

The Archbishop called upon all Christians to support priests with their prayers.  He said that this is essential because God has placed a great responsibility upon his priests.  He explained how according to St Paul, “it is the Holy Spirit who helps us to overcome our shortcomings”.  At the end of his homily, Archbishop Cremona appealed to all Christians to allow room in their lives for the Holy Spirit to accomplish, through them, God’s agenda of love, in all the towns and villages of our country.

Click here to download the full version of Archbishop Paul Cremona’s speech.

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