The
servants of Mary are as sure of getting to Paradise as though they were already
there. Who are they who are saved and who reign in Heaven? Surely those for
whom the Queen of Mercy intercedes ... The clients of Mary will necessarily be
saved.
-St.
Alphonsus Maria Liguori
-St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori
Pentecost Sunday
Lectionary: 63
Reading 1 Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.”
Responsorial Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters:
No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
OR:
Gal 5:16-25
Brothers and sisters, live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, lust, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
Sequence Veni, Sancte Spiritus
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen.
Alleluia.
Gospel Acclamation Jn 16:7, 13
Alleluia Alleluia
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Alleluia
Gospel Jn 20:19-23
Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved,
the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper
and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?”
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?
You follow me.”
So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die.
But Jesus had not told him that he would not die,
just “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?”
It is this disciple who testifies to these things
and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.
There are also many other things that Jesus did,
but if these were to be described individually,
I do not think the whole world would contain the books
that would be written.
Or
Jn 20:19-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”
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Awaken the fullness of life in the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is Christ's Spirit generously given to us so that we can be holy and continue the ministry that Christ began. On our own, we cannot be like Jesus, but if his Spirit is alive and active within us, we have Christ's holiness, his faith, his supernatural love and peace, confidence and endurance, and everything else that we see in Jesus.
You received the Holy Spirit during your baptism. The reality of this was confirmed and strengthened in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Ever since the first out-pouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, God has been transforming the world by working through those who serve his Kingdom. He generously fills us with his Spirit so that we will succeed at whatever he asks us to do. But how well his holiness and power exudes from us is up to us.
Join me in this Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
Dear Jesus, stir up within me the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to live in Your holy power. Open my mind to understand Your truths, and open my heart to accept Your truths even before I gain right understanding.
O Holy Spirit, help me to seek, more than anything, the kingdom of God. Help me to recognize what I am attached to that is not of You, and give me the determination and the strength to let go. I want only You.
O Holy Spirit, help me to face my sinfulness and to feel genuine sorrow for the damage that I have caused. Comfort me as I mourn my need for forgiveness, and give me Your spirit of rejoicing over this new growth. Then, help me to share this healing mercy with all those around me.
Jesus commanded, "Go into all the world and preach the good news." Use my gifts and talents to make a difference. I have my own expectations about what I should and should not do. I now surrender to You my ideas, my limitations, my preferences, and my goals. I want to be useful to You. I want to go where You lead me. Holy Spirit, send me forth gifted and empowered to spread the holy and victorious love of Jesus Christ.
Come, Holy Spirit; renew me. Amen!
Today's Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, and renew my whole being! I give You permission, Holy Spirit of God, to transform me into the person the Father created me to be. I surrender myself to You and willingly accept Your transformation. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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