FR JULIAN'S WEEKLY BLOG
08/06/25
As we celebrate Pentecost this weekend, I wonder how many of us realise that it is an on-going event, and not just a unique event affecting the disciples alone. We are all familiar, I’m sure, with the frightened disciples hiding in a locked room, only to encounter tongues of flame and the sound of rushing, mighty wind, and their bursting forth, evangelising to all nations. We must not dismiss this as folklore or history.
The truth is that the Holy Spirit descends on every one of us at baptism, however long – a week, as for Dallas last Sunday or decades ago (add in your own number!). The main difference between then and now is that those disciples had Jesus promising them the Holy Spirit, and were expecting, even if they didn’t know how or when. And it’s the same for us. Do we really believe that the Holy Spirit still inspires the faithful today, and do we recognise when it happens.
It is said that the fruit of the pudding is in the eating; the fruit of the Spirit is in its living. Or as Scripture says, ‘the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace’. That the fact that these three ‘fruits’ are not universal, or even universally valued or practised, is not an absence of the Holy Spirit, but our failure to believe its activity today, and act on it.​
01/06/25
​People in Liverpool are still coming to terms with the tragedy that occurred on Monday. A car drove into crowds of people celebrating Liverpool FC’s winning the Premier League. Thousands came together in pride and joy only to have these feelings turned into hurt and anger at what had happened. It still isn’t clear why this tragedy should have come about; there will be a very many questions to be asked – and answered. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected physically and mentally. Inevitably, the one question that is being asked is ‘why?’
There are two words a parent dreads their toddler knowing: ‘no’ and ‘why’! ‘Because I said so’ is not really a good enough answer, even after the umpteenth time. However, humanity would not be where it is today without have asking ‘why’. Our search for knowledge and answers have given us unparalleled progress in evolution. Yet despite all our knowledge and intelligence, we will always come up against something that we can’t answer, that we don’t know why.
We believe in a God who is omniscient, who knows everything. For him there is no ‘why’. He sees us and all his creation with an insight tempered with justice and mercy. Nothing he sees will go either unpunished or unrewarded.​