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HOMILIES

And so maybe we can be thinking ahead and prepare ourselves for the feast of the Pentecost.
A Novena are nine days of prayer starting this coming Friday, nine days of prayer to renew our
openness to the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit is the gift, the supreme gift of the
Father and the Son. The Father and the Son give us the Holy Spirit who is life, who is unity,
who unites us with Jesus Christ, who unites us between each other through Jesus Christ.
Who unites us to the Father through the grace of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of
unity, is a spirit of Mission, who gives us the courage, the strength to proclaim the name of
Jesus Christ in the public square where we know it is not easy! I call this the last ‘taboo’. On
the public square, you cannot name Jesus Christ. You cannot say the name of God. It’s the last
taboo.

We learn. Maybe we need courage. The courage to say the name of God, to say the name of
Jesus Christ. Not only in our personal life, in our own community, but also in the public
square. And this doesn’t come from itself.

The Apostles experienced the consequences of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
They met Jesus Christ personally as a group of disciples, but they were afraid, they were
hiding in their homes. And Jesus Christ invited them to pray, waiting for the gift of the Holy
Spirit. And Mary was with them, praying for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And so, that’s what we can do! We can take the time, more consciously, more intentionally, to
pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit, to pray for the renewal of the gift of the Holy Spirit with a
Novena, with Mary. Pray with Mary to be more open to the gift of the Holy Spirit. A spirit of
mission that will bring us to be more forthright in naming Jesus Christ! More forthright in
keeping the doors of our churches open all day long! Not only for the times of celebrations,
which are very important! But it is not enough. It is not enough. We need to learn to be open
all day long. All year long.



Collection of texts by the Most Rev. Christian Lépine 166