Sunday June 5, 2022

PENTECOST SUNDAY

A Spirit of Understanding

The Spirit of Openness

The Spirit of Enthusiasm

Greeting (See Sequence)

The Spirit of the Lord
makes flexible what is rigid,
kindles what is frigid,
and straightens what is wayward.
May the Lord give you this Spirit
and be always with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

The Spirit of Understanding

It is admirable that people can understand one another even when they speak different languages. Their good will, their gestures, their smiles make them see what others try to say or do. At the first Pentecost people understood one another: they heard the message of Christ in their own language, despite all their variety. The Spirit made them capable of doing so. We too speak our own languages: not only different mother tongues but the languages of our different cultures and personalities, even of the different ways we live our faith. May the Spirit of Pentecost make us understand and appreciate one another and unite us in one bond of faith and love.

The Spirit of Openness

How timid we often are, preoccupied with our own little concerns, living in our own little worlds! Today, on Pentecost, we celebrate the Holy Spirit. He tells us to open doors and windows, to break out of our ghettos and to make it courageously known to all with our words and our lives that God has made us free and rich. We cannot keep him for ourselves but must share him with the whole world. Let this Spirit come down on us, Jesus’ disciples today.

The Spirit of Enthusiasm

Today is the great feast of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God came down on the apostles. In the drabness and routine of life, even of the Christian life, we need a fresh breath to renew our blood, a strong wind to blow away our fears and to steer our sails in the journey of life, fire to spark us with fresh enthusiasm, light to show us the road to follow. God’s Spirit was there in fire and storm when the apostles were afraid and timid. God’s Spirit is here with us now with his fire and his mighty wind, or perhaps very quietly, to blow new energy into us and to light a new fire in us. Let him come and let him move us. It is our Pentecost.

Penitential Act

We stand before the Lord to acknowledge
that too often we are estranged from one another,
seeing more what divides us than what unites us.
Let us ask pardon from the Lord and from one another.
                        (pause)
Lord Jesus, breathe on us
the Spirit who makes us one:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, breathe on us
the Spirit who forgives and heals:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, breathe on us
the Spirit who renews us in your love:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Wash away the stains of sin in us, Lord,
and make us strong and loving.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to the Father
to send us the Holy Spirit
whom he gave to the young Church
                        (pause)
God our Father,
let the Holy Spirit surprise us
with his fire and vigor
and let him make us young and new again
as he did for the young Church.
Let him renew our days,
our loves and our lives.
Let him bring us tenderness and joy
as well as openness to one another
and the courage to stand up
for all that is right and just.
Let him unite us and lead us to you.
All this we ask you through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

First Reading (Acts 2:1-11): The Spirit Comes as a Mighty Storm

Loud noise, a mighty storm, fire, languages—these symbols used to describe the first Christian Pentecost tell us forcefully that here something totally new is happening. God’s Spirit of power is breaking through to bring divided humankind to­gether in a community where there is room for all.

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: Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 

(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.

Second Reading (Rom 8:8-17): The Spirit of God Lives in You

Thanks to the Spirit, the resurrection of Christ is already active in us; it enables us to give up the works of evil and makes us free to live as God’s children.

Rom 8:8-17

Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors 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 those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, "Abba, Father!"
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.

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.

Alleluia

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
   and kindle in them the fire of your love.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Jn 14:15-16,23-26): The Spirit Will Be with You Forever

Jesus goes to the Father, but he will continue to guide us and the whole Church through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will remind us continually of Jesus.

Jn 14:15-16, 23b-26

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 Advocate to be with you always.

"Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

"I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you."

Intercessions (based on a text by S.P. Arnold)

Let us pray to the Lord persistently, for the Father of mercy always hears the prayer of a sincere and faithful heart. Let us say: R/ Pour out your Spirit on us, Lord.

–          Pour out your Spirit as living water on the world: Let your Spirit come to enlighten and strengthen all those with a political responsibility: that justice and peace may be their daily concern, we pray: R/ Pour out your Spirit on us, Lord.

–          Pour out your Spirit as a burning fire on the world: Let your Spirit enlighten and convert all those with an economic responsibility: that solidarity and sharing guide their decisions, we pray: R/ Pour out your Spirit on us, Lord.

–          Pour out your Spirit as a festive song on the world: Let your Spirit enlighten and renew all those with artistic responsibility: that their work may radiate beauty and truth, we pray: R/ Pour out your Spirit on us, Lord.

–          Pour out your Spirit as a bond of grace on the world: Let your Spirit enlighten and gather together all those scattered by the events of life; put hope in their hearts to start a new life, we pray: R/ Pour out your Spirit on us, Lord.

–          Pour out your Spirit as a cry of expectancy in the world: Let your Spirit enlighten and guide all who have heard your call to bear witness to your Good News on the roads of the world, we pray: R/ Pour out your Spirit on us, Lord.

Answer our prayers, God of power and might. Let the Spirit, alive in us, spread your love among all people, today and for ever. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
give us your Son in this Eucharist
and pour out his Spirit over us.
Through him, complete in us what is imperfect,
change in us what is too inadequate.
Keep us always open to your Spirit
and to one another,
to unite us and to make us ever new,
that he may bring to fulfillment
the work begun in us by Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Let the Spirit of joy and love and gratitude prompt us to give wholehearted thanks to God, our creator and Father, for all his goodness and patience.

Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer

We cannot say “Jesus is Lord”
except through the Spirit.
We cannot say “Father” to God,
except through the Spirit crying out in us.
With him, we can now say with complete trust
the prayer given us by Jesus: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant in our day the peace of Christ,
which is the work of your Spirit.
In your mercy keep us free from all sin
which obstructs the unity
and the universality of your Church.
Protect us from all anxiety and reassure us
that even in the uncertainties of our time
the Spirit leads us forward in joyful hope
toward the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.

R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion (See Rev 22:17,21)

The Spirit and the Church say: Come.
Let everyone who listens answer: Come.
Let all that are thirsty come.
All who want it
may have the water of life
and have it as a free gift.
This is the risen Christ
whose Spirit moves us forward
to bear witness to God’s love. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
thanks to your Holy Spirit
the apostles could bring to a good end
the mission given them by Jesus your Son.
Pour out your Spirit over us too,
to inspire this community and your whole Church
with a sense of mission and commitment.
Let him renew us day after day
and bind us together as your people,
that we may be to the whole world
the living signs that your Son is alive
and that he is our Lord now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing

Often we are timid, afraid to risk our person,
to live consistently what we believe in,
for we don’t know where involvement will lead us.
It is imprudent by human standards
to place ourselves into the hands of people
and even of the Spirit.
May God give us this courage and foolish wisdom,
and may he bless you,

the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in peace and may the Spirit of Christ

be your guide in all you do.

R/ Thanks be to God.

Commentary

The Spirit’s Lingua Franca

Read:

The Pentecost, the corrective event of the Tower of Babel disaster. We are all members of the one body of Christ, reminds St. Paul. Jesus breathes on the disciples, as Yahweh had breathed once into the nostrils of the first human.

Reflect:

The first public comment made of the new post-resurrectional community of the disciples of Jesus was that they spoke a kind of language that everyone understood. The Pentecost is the corrective to the Tower of Babel experience (Gen. 11:1-9) where hardly anyone spoke a language that another could understand. If the Babel was an attempt out of existential fear to resist a dispersal of people and to play God, the Pentecost is an act of God’s Spirit to dispel the fear and empower the new community to traverse every corner of the world, bringing a new language that every human being can understand. What is this language that anyone, beyond the conditionings of space, time, or culture, can understand? It is the language of love, the lingua franca of the Spirit of God. It is the language Christians are called to speak in and be united in.

Pray:

Pray for the gift of the language of the Spirit—Love.

Act:

Talk lovingly to everyone whom you meet today.

Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022;

written by Fr.Paulson Velyannoor, CMF

Coffee With God: Earthquake, Fire and Tongues