Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • September 17, 2021 3 Gulf Pine Catholic (ISSN No. 0746-3804) September 17, 2021 Volume 39, Issue 2 The GULF PINE CATHOLIC , published every other week, is an official publication of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi. Editorial offices are located at 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532. Periodical postage paid at Gulfport, MS. —POSTMASTER— Send address changes to: The GULF PINE CATHOLIC 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 —PUBLISHER— Most Rev. Louis F. Kihneman —EDITOR— Terry Dickson —PRODUCTION/ ADVERTISING — Shirley M c Cusker —CIRCULATION— Aimee McLendon —PHOTOGRAPHY/ VIDEOGRAPHY— Juliana Skelton —OFFICEHOURS— 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday —PHONE NUMBERS— Editor: 228-702-2126 Production/Advertising: 228-702-2109 Circulation: 228-702-2127 Photography/Videography: 228-702-2172 FAX: 228-702-2128 —EMAIL— News: tdickson@biloxidiocese.org Production / Advertising: smccusker@biloxidiocese.org Circulation: amclendon@biloxidiocese.org Photography / Videography: jskelton@biloxidiocese.org —OFFICEAND MAILINGADDRESS — 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 —WEBSITE— www.biloxidiocese.org —SUBSCRIPTIONS — Subscription rate is $18 per year. When changing address, renewing or inquiring about a subscription, customer should include a recent address label with old address and new address. Allow three weeks for changes of address. —DEADLINES for OCT. 1 EDITION— News copy and photos: Due SEPT. 23, 4 p.m. Advertising: Completed Ad and/or copy due SEPT. 23, 10 a.m. Bishop Kihneman’s Schedule Sept. 19 Mass, Installation of Pastor, St. Therese, Gulfport, 9 a.m. Sept. 20-23 Mission Bishops’ Conference, Chicago Sept. 26 Mass, St. Vincent de Paul Socities, Nativity Cathedral, 11 a.m. Sept. 30 Mass & School Visit, Sacred Heart Church & Sacred Heart Elem., Hattiesburg, 8:30 a.m. Oct. 1 Notre Dame Seminary Finance Council Meeting, 2 p.m. Oct. 2 New Parish Catechists Orientation, Pastoral Center, 9 a.m. Oct. 3 Mass, 100th Anniversary, Sacred Heart Parish, D’Iberville, 11 a.m. BY BISHOP LOUIS F. KIHNEMAN III Bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.” When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit (Acts of the Apostles 1:1-41). We know what a strong driving wind is. We have seen many storms here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Keep in mind that driving wind when you imagine what it was like in the upper room when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. Then the tongues of fire appeared! When the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire hit the disciples, they Bishop Kihneman Jesus pours his spirit upon us with the fire of his love that we may bear witness Jesus promised us the Spirit of God and He has given us the Spirit of God. The gifts of the Spirit are ours. All of us who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation share in the gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord. The gifts are a part of our lives and part of what we share with one another. He gave us His Spirit and He sent His Spirit in a powerful way to enable us to con- tinue His work by following His Great Commission to: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). He gave us the Spirit so that as His family we could share in His love and share the love of Jesus Christ with our neighbors. Jesus promises to be with us always and He continually sends the Spirit of God to us. He continually says to us, I love you. I love you all the way to the Cross, I love you all the way to the Resurrection, I love you all the way to the Ascension, and I send upon you the Spirit of God. As a Church and as the Body of Christ, we are called first to make disciples, that is the reason the Church exists. It becomes our first question: “Are we forming disciples?” The second one is: “Are we baptizing all nations?” Moreover, are we teaching all that God has commanded us? In addition, for those who are married, are you sharing with your spouse that you believe Jesus is with us? That Jesus is in your marriage? That Jesus is in your family? That Jesus is in your relationship together? Parents, bless your children every night with the Sign of the Cross. Husbands and wives, sign each other with the Sign of the Cross, even if pots are flying in the air! Especially when the pots are flying! Let His love pour forth from you to your spouse and from the two of you because, as you love one another, you are a sign of how Christ loves His Church. We as a Church need to continue to grow in how to tell our story of faith -- how Jesus has blessed us, how Jesus has touched our life, how Jesus has healed our life, how Jesus has loved us even in the moments of great pain and great difficulty. We need to be able to tell our story to others. It is not meant for us to hide it in the upper room. It is meant for us to share. SEE BISHOP KIHNEMAN, PAGE 6 were changed! Through our Baptism and Confirmation, we are called to let that same Spirit touch us, to let that Spirit change us, to let that Spirit lead us, to let that Spirit guide us, to let that Spirit fill us with love. Pray for the Holy Spirit to renew, guide, and strength- en each of us daily. Saint Peter tells us as he told those who witnessed the changes in the disciples at Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call” (Acts of the Apostles 2:38-39). Just as the Holy Spirit was not only meant to be received by the disciples in the upper room, it is not just for us. We cannot hide the gifts given to us by the Spirit, we are meant to share our gifts of the Spirit with others so that they long to fall in love with Jesus Christ as we have. That is the love that brings us together, and it is a love that He blesses and is meant to shine forth through us in a special way. We hear in St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians quite profoundly that every sin- gle one of us who are baptized in Christ Jesus share in the manifestation of the Spirit: “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” (1 Corinthians 12:7). The Spirit is given to every single one of us. It is meant to live in us and we are meant to share that Spirit with one another.