# Pentecost Sunday Reflections
*2024-06-27*

> Bill Young shares personal encounters with the Holy Spirit, stories of miraculous signs, and a heartfelt prayer for those who doubt, all centered on the celebration of Pentecost.

## A Humble Beginning

I begin by admitting that I am a sinner, far from deserving any gifts from God. Yet God gives freely, not because we merit it, but because He chooses to. I am not the smartest person, but I have seen signs of the Holy Spirit, Mary, and the real presence of Christ. Recently, I learned that Spotify will discontinue podcasts on July 9, which threatens to erase over 1,700 episodes recorded since 2007. That loss prompted me to reflect on what truly matters: the Spirit’s work in our lives.

## Personal Encounters with the Holy Spirit

I have experienced moments that I believe were the Holy Spirit’s presence. While praying the Rosary at work, I felt an overwhelming joy and love after each decade, as if a beloved sister in heaven—Sister Mary Teresa—was with me. Later, my sister Susie, who attended Sister Teresa’s funeral 13 years earlier, felt the same peace at her own funeral mass, confirming for me that the Spirit was at work.

During a cruise to Greece, we attempted to visit a Greek‑Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Though we could not enter, the experience reminded me that the Spirit often works behind the scenes.

In Sicily, at Mount Etna, I saw a plume of smoke form the shape of a white bird with outstretched wings. I captured a photo of the white, bird‑like smoke. As a member of the Legion of Mary, I felt the Spirit recognizing me, recalling the traditional image of the Holy Spirit as a dove before the altar of Our Lady of the Rosary.

## Signs in Sacred Spaces

While attending a Mass for Saint Mother Teresa in Rome (2016), I witnessed a cloud resembling a giant angel and a cross formed from tree‑like branches. Rings of perfect smoke rose from the altar, attached to clouds like a celestial string. I have no scientific explanation, but I sense these are signs of souls moving toward heaven, perhaps released from purgatory.

At a Passion Play in St. Maximilian Kolbe’s parish, a light above the crucifix formed an image that some described as a lion—another symbol of Christ’s majesty that only those open to the Spirit could perceive.

## A Prayerful Appeal

I ask for help in preserving these testimonies and in finding a new podcast platform after Spotify’s shutdown. My son has been a great technical support, and I pray that God provides a way to continue sharing these experiences.

I also pray for those who doubt or ignore the Holy Spirit’s voice. May they encounter the truth of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Mother of God. May the Holy Spirit guide us all to deeper faith.

## Pentecost Prayer

We conclude with the traditional Pentecost prayers:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. (Repeated three times for charity, peace, and hope.)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Lord Jesus, we ask for forgiveness of our sins, protection from the fires of hell, and the grace to lead souls to heaven, especially those most in need of mercy.

*When we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, even ordinary moments can become signs of God’s love and presence.*