Rector’s Reflections

May 24, 2026

Dear People of God,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon us! The Feast of Pentecost celebrates images of the Holy Spirit: sometimes a tongue of fire, as in the Pentecost story, more often a hovering dove. But there is another way to imagine this gift of the risen Jesus: the word ‘spirit’ itself.

In Greek, the language of the New Testament, the word for ‘spirit’ is identical to the word for wind or breath. Wind, breath, spirit – all the same!  Even deeper, it is God’s own breath of life.  And do we let the Spirit of God take our breath away?

The Feast of Pentecost – a feast celebrating the Spirit upon and with each one of us – means we do not walk through life alone. The Lord Jesus is with us, and the Spirit of the Lord is upon us!

What does the Spirit of life – wind and breath – look like? What difference should this Spirit make in our lives – and in the lives of those we touch? The following two powerful stories are filled with a profound spirit – wind – breath. Like the baseball slogan once proclaimed, “Baseball fever – Catch it!” Catch the Spirit of the Lord and become breath and wind to all those we meet.

True Love and Happiness

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30am, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.

He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

On examination, it was well-healed, so I spoke with one of the doctors and obtained the necessary supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, we began to talk. I asked him if he had a doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. As we talked and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years.

I was surprised and asked him, “And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?” He smiled as he patted my hand and said, “She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.”

I had to hold back tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my arm and thought. “That is the kind of love I want in my life.” True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

“The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything:  they just make the best of everything that comes their way.”

And speaking of blessings, I would like to share this story with all of you.

The man whispered,

“God, speak to me.”

And a meadowlark sang:

But the man did not hear.

So, the man yelled,

“God, speak to me!”

And the thunder rolled across the sky,

But the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said,

“God, let me see you!”

And a star shone brightly,

But the man did not notice.

And the man shouted,

“God, show me a miracle!”

And a life was born

But the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair,

“Touch me, God, and let me know that you are here!”

Whereupon God reached down and touched the man,

But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

Let’s not miss out on a blessing because it isn’t packaged the way we expect.

The Spirit of the Lord Jesus will not take you where the grace of the Lord cannot keep you.

In the Spirit,

Fr. Greg