Scripture gives us two different accounts of the coming of the Holy Spirit to read from today. One is from the author Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, which we hear in the first reading. The second is from John’s Gospel. How the apostles historically received the gift of the Spirit (tongues of fire or Jesus’ breath) is less important than what resulted when the Spirit filled them. The coming of the Holy Spirit sparked a tremendous change in the lives of the disciples. Whether they received the Spirit when Jesus breathed on them (just as the first human came to life when God breathed into him) or when a great wind brought tongues of fire to them, they became the best versions of themselves. Before the coming of the Spirit, they were a fearful, closed group, hiding out, paralyzed to continue Jesus’ ministry of healing and teaching. Once Jesus came to them and offered them his peace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they immediately transformed. Rejoicing replaced fear, and the willingness to move outward to minister to others replaced their desire for safety.  The beauty of the Spirit’s working in the disciples’ lives is that God didn’t need them to become different people. They were still a motley crew of illiterate fisherman from an area of the country not known for any thing of significance. What they learned is that regardless of their lack of education, wealth, or social status, God could do incredible things with and through them. Jesus didn’t ask them to continue his work of building the Kingdom of God by themselves. From the day of Pentecost on, they had an Advocate to teach them, strengthen them, and embolden them. Questions of the week  Have you ever had the experience of moving from fear or timidity into a courageous actor in a particular situation in your life? To what do you attribute the change?  Have you ever known or heard about others whose lives dramatically changed because the Spirit moved them in some way? Please share.

Catholic Bishops Conference of England & Wales Statement on the upcoming Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which seeks to legalise assisted suicide, is fast approaching its decisive vote in the House of Commons which will likely take place on either the 13th or 20th of June. The Catholic bishops of England and Wales oppose this flawed bill both in principle and in practice. Among the many concerns, we are particularly alarmed by the following:  This legislation would require many hospices and care homes to facilitate assisted suicide. This will put in jeopardy their ability to provide care. Parliament has rejected an amendment that would have allowed institutions to opt out of participating in the provision of assisted suicide.  The provisions for conscientious objection for health and social care workers are both unclear and inadequate. This problem will not be addressed by proposed amendments.  Safeguards against coercion for the most vulnerable are wholly inadequate, particularly in cases involving coercive control or social pressure. During Committee Stage, the bill’s main proponent was unable to confirm whether individuals seeking assisted suicide due to financial concerns or feelings of being a burden would be prevented from accessing it. Since then, no progress has been made, and many MPs consider the existing safeguards insufficient, with the potential to result in a “terrible tragedy.” We note the opposition for the bill from key professional bodies including the Royal College of Psychiatrists whose members will be expected to be involved in the process of assessing those who elect for assisted suicide. We have already seen the bill weakened during Committee Stage. In addition, MPs are expected to debate nearly 60 pages of amendments in under 15 hours. The whole process by which this bill has been brought forward and debated is insufficient for such a radical change. We urge Catholics, and all people of goodwill, to contact their MP and ask them to vote against this bill. We also ask you to pray that our representatives choose to protect the most vulnerable citizens of this country when they vote later this month. Archbishop John Sherrington  Lead Bishop for Life Issues and Archbishop of Liverpool

Welcome to the third Epsom Deanery Newsletter. In this issue, you can read about a number of recent and upcoming events and more about our response to Bishop Richard’s Call to Mission. In our opening article, Canon Kieron O’Brien, Episcopal Vicar for Formation, explores the progress of the Diocesan Plan and the importance of Vision, Mission and Synodality. VIEW THE FULL NEWSLETTER HERE