June: Breath of the Spirit
June arrives with full light: fields gilded at dawn, long evenings where the sky lingers but never fully darkens. In the Church, this is the season of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the breath of God that moves through ordinary lives and sends people into the world changed.
Pentecost is not thunder and spectacle alone, it is wind in a quiet room, tongues of flame over tired disciples, courage blooming in those who were once afraid. The Spirit does not always shout; sometimes it nudges, stirs, unfolds.
This month invites us to ask: Where might the Spirit be moving in my own life? Not in grand gestures, but in whispers: the courage to apologise, the nudge to rest, the desire to create, to bless, to begin again. Like summer itself, the Spirit brings life, warmth, and fruitfulness, but asks us to stay open to receive them.
From the Earth
The land in June is lush and loud with life. Elderflower foams along the lanes, bees work the blossoms, and the first hay is cut in sweet-smelling fields. Swifts glide across open skies, and foxgloves stand like quiet sentinels in woodland shade.
The days are long, sunrise early, sunset late, and the world feels stretched out, generous. Everything seems to breathe more easily now. If May was blossom, June is fullness flower.
Those Who Went Before
St Columba (Feast Day: 9th June)
St Columba, or Colum Cille, left Ireland in the 6th century and sailed across rough seas to the island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland. There, he founded a monastery that became a beacon of prayer, learning, and hospitality across Britain.
Columba’s life held both restlessness and deep peace. He was a man who loved the Psalms, the sea, and the sound of the wind against stone. He travelled, taught, prayed, copied Scripture, and blessed kings and beggars alike. Iona became a thin place, where earth and heaven seemed only a breath apart.
He reminds us that faith can be a journey, a shoreline, a done-and-undone work. Home sometimes begins in exile, in leaving what is comfortable to follow the whisper of God.
This month, choose one person to quietly encourage or bless, not with grand gestures, but in a way that brings life.
It might be:
Writing them a handwritten note or letter of thanks
Baking or cooking something and leaving it at their door
Offering to watch their children, make a meal, or simply listen
Sending a message that says, “I’m grateful for you. I’m praying for you.”
Before you do it, pray:
“Holy Spirit, show me who needs gentleness or strength today and let me be part of Your answer.”
This is not about being noticed, it’s about allowing the Spirit to flow through ordinary kindness, the way wind moves through leaves: quietly, but unmistakably.
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house…”
