Theme of the Sunday: The Spirit, New Law of the Christian. The first reading and the gospel talk of the descent of the Spirit. The stories of Luke and John complement each other and teach us that the Spirit is the new law, the force that leads us to do good. The Spirit is the source of unity. It pulls down barriers and wherever it enters it destroys sin. The second reading describes a consequence of the presence of the Spirit. Each of us has been given gifts by the same Spirit and they must not be a source of competition but must rather be put at the service of unity.
Entrance Antiphon Wis1:7
The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world and that which contains all things understands what is said, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who by the mystery of today’s great feast sanctify your whole Church in every people and nation, pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit across the face of the earth and, with the divine grace that was at work when the Gospel was first proclaimed, fill now once more the hearts of believers. Through our Lord…
FIRST READING
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.”
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-11)
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm104:1ab.24ac.29bc-30.31and 34 (R. cf. 30)
R/. Lord, send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, how great you are.
How many are your works, O Lord!
The earth is full of your creatures. R/.
You take away their breath, they die,
returning to the dust from which they came.
You send forth your spirit, and they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth. R/.
May the glory of the Lord last forever!
May the Lord rejoice in his works!
May my thoughts be pleasing to him.
I will rejoice in the Lord. R/.
SECOND READING
“By one Spirit we were all baptised into one body. ”
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 12:3b-7. 12-13)
Brethren: No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
The word of the Lord.
SEQUENCE (prose text) Sequence (prose text)
Come, Holy Spirit,
and from heaven direct on man the rays of your light. Come, Father of the poor;
come, giver of God’s gifts; come, light of men’s hearts.
Kindly Paraclete, in your gracious visits to man’s soul you bring relief and consolation.
If it is weary with toil, you bring it ease;
in the heat of temptation, your grace cools it; if sorrowful, your words console it.
Light most blessed, shine on the hearts of your faithful— even into their darkest corners;
for without your aid man can do nothing good, and everything is sinful.
Wash clean the sinful soul,
rain down your grace on the parched soul and heal the injured soul.
Soften the hard heart,
cherish and warm the ice-cold heart, and give direction to the wayward.
Give your seven holy gifts to your faithful, for their trust is in you.
Give them reward for their virtuous acts; give them a death that ensures salvation; give them unending bliss. Amen. Alleluia.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful; and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit. ”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 20: 19-23)
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
The Gospel of the Lord.