FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-11)
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.”
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.
Or: Alleluia
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/.
R/. Lord, send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Or: Alleluia.
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
“All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Romans 8:8-17)
Brethren: those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the spirit, if the spirit of God really dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness. If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raise Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. For all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
The word of the Lord.
SEQUENCE: Veni Creator Spiritus (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
“The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 14:15-16.23b-26)
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you for ever. “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
The Gospel of the Lord
TODAY’S REFLECTION
At Pentecost, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and Mary, giving birth to the church that courageously bears witness to the risen Lord, Jesus’ promise of sending an Advocate to guide his disciples is fulfilled.
The Holy Spirit is sent for a purpose… to remind the disciples of the teachings of Jesus and to instruct them further; to invest the apostles with the authority to forgive sins; to build up the faith and unity of the Christian community through various gifts of the spirit.
Today, there is a major renewal of interest in the Holy Spirit and spiritual charisms. Unfortunately, however, many ‘gifts of the spirit’ are restricted to spectacular, extraordinary and momentary phenomena which often become a cause of rivalry, conflict and division. Charisms that build up faith and unity in the Christian community, and lead to greater understanding, forgiveness and service, are true signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit.