Pentecost Sunday
Mass during the Day
Lectionary: 63
Mass during the Day
Lectionary: 63
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.”
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
PsalmPS 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.
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 21 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
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.”
“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.”
Pentecost Sunday
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
Introduction
Pentecost is an Israelite-Jewish festival. In Exodus 23:14-17 it is called simply the harvest festival, the feast of first-fruits of the grain harvest. In Exodus 34:22 it is called the feast of weeks, the first-fruits of the grain harvest. In Leviticus 23:15-21 the feast is reckoned by counting seven weeks from the beginning of the grain harvest; it is a day of Sabbatical observance. In Numbers 28:26-31 it is called the feast of weeks, the day of first-fruits. In Deuteronomy 16:9-12 it is the feast of weeks, which occurs seven weeks after the beginning of the grain harvest. It is one of the three major festivals in all the older lists of feasts.
It is probable that it was later in origin than Passover and did not take form until the Israelites had become a primarily agricultural community in Canaan. The time of the festival in its original celebration must have been indefinite, since the beginning of the grain harvest can’t be put at a certain day in the calendar. The beginning of the grain harvest corresponds with the feast of Matzoth (unleavened bread). When Passover and Matzoth were combined and set on the 14th of Nisan, the festival of weeks received a regular date in the calendar seven weeks (50 days) after Passover.
As a major feast, all Jewish males over the age of twelve were expected to try to celebrate it in Jerusalem.
1st Reading - Acts 2:1-11
The setting is fifty days after the first Easter, ten days since Christ has ascended and left the disciples with responsibility for administering His Church. Before He ascended He had told them “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). So, after the ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem and the Upper Room. While there, the eleven selected by lot Matthias to take Judas’ place, showing that the office of Bishop is to be a perpetual office [as Acts 1:20 (KJV) says, quoting Psalm 109:8, “and his bishopric let another take”].
:1 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.
120 people (Acts 1:15) in the same house? Must be a big place. Remember, there was no indoor plumbing in those days.
2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.
There is a phonetic relationship in the Greek between “pnue” (wind) and “pneuma” (spirit). In Hebrew the word “ruah” is the same for “wind”, “breath”, and “spirit”.
3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
Compare with Isaiah 66:15-20. With storm wind and fire the heavenly origin of the Spirit is expressed, and with its division, its destination in all members of the assembly.
4 And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
The tongues of fire yield foreign tongues.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
A startling change from the confines of the house to the surrounding area. The Jews represent the ingathering of Israel from their dispersion among all the nations. Recall this is one of the feasts where one ventured to Jerusalem.
6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
The miracle is not in the hearing; the Spirit is in the speakers who speak in these foreign tongues. The root of the word translated as “confused” is the same as the word used in the Septuagint to describe the effect of the tower of Babel. The effect is reversed here.
7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Note the change in attitude of the crowd; from confused, to astounded, to amazed.
8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
A more or less geographical sweep from east to west. Gives the impression of universality.
as well as travelers from Rome,
Breaking with the geographical sweep, Luke moves to the center of the Roman empire; perhaps to prepare the way for Peter and Paul to settle there.
11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
As a conclusion to the list, western-most and eastern-most
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”
This is what the disciples “expressed themselves” and “made bold proclamation”.
Thus was the Church born. In one fell swoop, the disciples are transformed from timid persons holed up in a room to proud proclaimers of the marvels which God has accomplished.
2nd Reading -1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
This reading should sound familiar to us as we heard the first half of it the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time and the remainder of it the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Cycle C). Paul is advising the Corinthians about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how these gifts are to be used to promote the common good.
3b [N]o one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the holy Spirit.
The Corinthians had inquired as to which gift of the Holy Spirit was greater than another and had probably stopped living the Christian life as they became concerned about their own image and status. Paul undermines any spiritual elitism by reminding them that they had all made this baptismal confession (Romans 10:9).
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
The three-fold comparison of “different” – “same” contrasts different actions with the same common origin to emphasize that all, no matter how great or small they are perceived to be, have the same origin and therefore the same value.
7 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.
These gifts are not for us to hold but for us to share. If we do not share the gifts, then the common good suffers.
12 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.
Paul continues this comparison by pointing out that the human body needs different parts to perform different functions; all of which benefit the whole. Since the Church is the Body of Christ, it too is formed of many different members which are to work together for the benefit of the whole. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
13 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.
The diversity of the Church is rooted in its unity. The Spirit is within the Church and we are called to share a common existence in Christ.
Alternate 2nd Reading - Galatians 5:16-25
The Roman province of Galatia was established in 24 B.C. and included the regions of Pisidia, Pamphilia, and part of Lycaonia. During his first missionary journey, begun in A.D. 47, Saint Paul established Christian communities in the southern part of Galatia. These communities were in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra (Acts 13:14ff). He visited these communities again during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-5); a journey which started in the year 50. At the beginning of his third journey, around the year 53 (Acts 18:23) while again visiting these communities, he was very surprised to find that the Galatian Christians, most of whom came from a Gentile background, had been led astray by “false brethren,” Judaizers, who made out that Christians should conform to the Mosaic law and, therefore, be circumcised. Saint Paul did not remain in the area and settle the matter but when he reached Ephesus he wrote the Galatians a letter refuting the errors involved. In this letter he addresses the whole question of the relationship between the Gospel and the Mosaic law, between the Old Covenant and the New.
The section of this letter which we hear today gives instructions for the correct use of our Christian freedom; a freedom which did not exist under Mosaic law.
16 I say, then: live by the Spirit
Literally, “walk by the Spirit,” which in the Semitic sense means “conduct oneself.” The Spirit that is the principle of Christian sonship must also be the principle of Christian conduct.
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. 17 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.
The Christian in union with Christ and endowed with the Spirit still struggles with the temptations of “the flesh.” The term “the flesh” is used as a symbol of all that is man in his opposition to God.
18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The Christian under the influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit has an interior principle to counteract “the flesh,” and is no longer merely confronted with the extraneous norm of the Mosaic law.
“The body ... is not an agent but is acted upon. For desire is not of the body but of the soul. ... How then does Paul say ‘the flesh has desires against the Spirit’? By ‘flesh’ he means not the physical body but the evil choice. ... What then? Ought one to suppress the flesh? Was not the one who said this himself clothed with the flesh? ... By ‘flesh’ here he means earthly thoughts that are apathetic and heedless. This is not a condemnation of the body but a reproach of the apathetic soul. For the flesh is an instrument, and no one repudiates and hates the instrument as such, but only the one who handles the instrument badly” [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 393-397), Commentary on the Epistle To The Galatians, 5,17]
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness (lust), 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, 21 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.
We are given a catalog of vices which the Christian must avoid if he would share in the blessings of the kingdom of God, our divine inheritance.
22 In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
we are now given a catalog of virtues (see also 2 Corinthians 6:6; Colossians 3:12-15; Ephesians 4:2; 5:9). Notice how Saint Paul speaks about the “works” of the flesh and the “deeds” of the Spirit but this does not exclude the performance of “good deeds” which are a necessary part of the Christian life. There is no need of a law to be enacted against such virtuous actions. But the Law was “added because of transgressions” (Galatians 3:19).
24 Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
The Christian, crucified with Christ through his faith and baptism (Galatians 2:19), has died not only to the Law but also to his “self.” He has died to “the flesh” with all its earthbound, limited, and degrading tendencies.
“What he means by ‘follow the Spirit’ is ‘let us be content in the power of the Spirit, and let us not seek to augment it with the law.’ Then, having shown that those who introduce circumcision are doing this through ambitious motives, he says, ‘Let us not become proud, which is the cause of evils, calling one another out of factiousness and strife, in jealousy of one another. For jealousy comes from vainglory, and from vainglory all those other evils’” [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 393-397), Commentary on the Epistle To The Galatians, 5,25]
Gospel - John 20:19-23
This reading should also sound familiar as we heard it last on the 2nd Sunday of Easter (Cycle C). What we hear about is Jesus’ first appearance to the apostles.
19 On the evening of that first day of the week,
The first Easter Sunday. All Jesus’ appearances after Easter which are dated (time coded) are on a Sunday.
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst
Through locked doors. The disciples had barricaded themselves in the Upper Room because they were afraid that what had happened to Jesus would happen to them also. After all, they had been His followers.
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Shalom. An ordinary greeting which the Israelite conceived as a gift of Yahweh. The word “Shalom” does not translate well; peace is usually used in English translations but it does not connote the rich meaning: completeness, perfection, a condition in which nothing is lacking.
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The wounds of crucifixion. There is no indication that, like Thomas, the others probed the wounds with their fingers.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
All was not lost after all; their leader had returned.
21 (Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Jesus was sent with authority to bring about healing and repentance; to heal the Church through forgiveness of sins. The sinful nature of man is what had kept him from God all through the Old Covenant. He is sending them with the same authority with which He was given.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.
There is a beautiful play on the Hebrew word ruah which is the same for breath, wind, and spirit. If you recall the Baltimore Catechism definition of a sacrament, what we have here is a sacrament in one verse: an outward sign (He breathed on them) instituted by Christ (He who did the breathing) to give grace (receive the Holy Spirit).
23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
The disciples (and their successors by extension) have the authority to forgive sins in Jesus’ name. The mission of reconciliation was so important to God that He sent His Son to institute the practice. Only through reconciliation with God can we act as His sons and daughters; including eat the family meal (Eucharist) which binds us all together.
“I don’t go to a man to confess to my sins; only God can forgive sins” says the Protestant. “Neither do I” responds the Catholic, “I go to God’s duly appointed and commissioned representative who was given the responsibility of forgiving (or binding) my sins as God works through him. James 5:13-16 says “Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders (presbyters) of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.” Notice that you are to call the presbyters (this is the root word for priests) and confess your sins to him. Why do I confess to a priest? Because the Bible tells me to!
Alternate Gospel - John 15:26-27; 16:12-15
What we hear as our gospel reading is a discussion of the role of the Holy Spirit in relation to the glorification of Christ.
:26 “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. 27 And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
One of the functions of the Holy Spirit will be to continue the witness of Christ. The disciples too, by living the life which Christ has made possible – by being the Church; the continuation of Christ in this world – will be a continuing witness to His work. The witness of the disciples is also the witness of the Spirit (Acts 5:32) since it is the Spirit sent by the Son from the Father who is the “soul” of the Church.
16:12 “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. 13 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.
Even now, at the very end of His public ministry, there is much which Jesus cannot say and which must await the enlightening activity of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will not “speak on His own” just as Jesus did not speak “on His own” but did the will of the Father.
14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 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.
The glorification which the Son has from the Father and which is, in turn, the glorification of the Father, is continued in the Church through the activity of the Holy Spirit which continues the work of Christ. As the existence of the Church is the result of the shared life of the Father and the Son (John 3:35; 5:20; 10:30), so its continuance is the result of the shared life of the Son and the Spirit.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
Introduction
Pentecost is an Israelite-Jewish festival. In Exodus 23:14-17 it is called simply the harvest festival, the feast of first-fruits of the grain harvest. In Exodus 34:22 it is called the feast of weeks, the first-fruits of the grain harvest. In Leviticus 23:15-21 the feast is reckoned by counting seven weeks from the beginning of the grain harvest; it is a day of Sabbatical observance. In Numbers 28:26-31 it is called the feast of weeks, the day of first-fruits. In Deuteronomy 16:9-12 it is the feast of weeks, which occurs seven weeks after the beginning of the grain harvest. It is one of the three major festivals in all the older lists of feasts.
It is probable that it was later in origin than Passover and did not take form until the Israelites had become a primarily agricultural community in Canaan. The time of the festival in its original celebration must have been indefinite, since the beginning of the grain harvest can’t be put at a certain day in the calendar. The beginning of the grain harvest corresponds with the feast of Matzoth (unleavened bread). When Passover and Matzoth were combined and set on the 14th of Nisan, the festival of weeks received a regular date in the calendar seven weeks (50 days) after Passover.
As a major feast, all Jewish males over the age of twelve were expected to try to celebrate it in Jerusalem.
1st Reading - Acts 2:1-11
The setting is fifty days after the first Easter, ten days since Christ has ascended and left the disciples with responsibility for administering His Church. Before He ascended He had told them “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). So, after the ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem and the Upper Room. While there, the eleven selected by lot Matthias to take Judas’ place, showing that the office of Bishop is to be a perpetual office [as Acts 1:20 (KJV) says, quoting Psalm 109:8, “and his bishopric let another take”].
:1 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.
120 people (Acts 1:15) in the same house? Must be a big place. Remember, there was no indoor plumbing in those days.
2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.
There is a phonetic relationship in the Greek between “pnue” (wind) and “pneuma” (spirit). In Hebrew the word “ruah” is the same for “wind”, “breath”, and “spirit”.
3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
Compare with Isaiah 66:15-20. With storm wind and fire the heavenly origin of the Spirit is expressed, and with its division, its destination in all members of the assembly.
4 And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
The tongues of fire yield foreign tongues.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
A startling change from the confines of the house to the surrounding area. The Jews represent the ingathering of Israel from their dispersion among all the nations. Recall this is one of the feasts where one ventured to Jerusalem.
6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
The miracle is not in the hearing; the Spirit is in the speakers who speak in these foreign tongues. The root of the word translated as “confused” is the same as the word used in the Septuagint to describe the effect of the tower of Babel. The effect is reversed here.
7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Note the change in attitude of the crowd; from confused, to astounded, to amazed.
8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
A more or less geographical sweep from east to west. Gives the impression of universality.
as well as travelers from Rome,
Breaking with the geographical sweep, Luke moves to the center of the Roman empire; perhaps to prepare the way for Peter and Paul to settle there.
11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
As a conclusion to the list, western-most and eastern-most
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”
This is what the disciples “expressed themselves” and “made bold proclamation”.
Thus was the Church born. In one fell swoop, the disciples are transformed from timid persons holed up in a room to proud proclaimers of the marvels which God has accomplished.
2nd Reading -1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
This reading should sound familiar to us as we heard the first half of it the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time and the remainder of it the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Cycle C). Paul is advising the Corinthians about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how these gifts are to be used to promote the common good.
3b [N]o one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the holy Spirit.
The Corinthians had inquired as to which gift of the Holy Spirit was greater than another and had probably stopped living the Christian life as they became concerned about their own image and status. Paul undermines any spiritual elitism by reminding them that they had all made this baptismal confession (Romans 10:9).
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
The three-fold comparison of “different” – “same” contrasts different actions with the same common origin to emphasize that all, no matter how great or small they are perceived to be, have the same origin and therefore the same value.
7 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.
These gifts are not for us to hold but for us to share. If we do not share the gifts, then the common good suffers.
12 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.
Paul continues this comparison by pointing out that the human body needs different parts to perform different functions; all of which benefit the whole. Since the Church is the Body of Christ, it too is formed of many different members which are to work together for the benefit of the whole. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
13 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.
The diversity of the Church is rooted in its unity. The Spirit is within the Church and we are called to share a common existence in Christ.
Alternate 2nd Reading - Galatians 5:16-25
The Roman province of Galatia was established in 24 B.C. and included the regions of Pisidia, Pamphilia, and part of Lycaonia. During his first missionary journey, begun in A.D. 47, Saint Paul established Christian communities in the southern part of Galatia. These communities were in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra (Acts 13:14ff). He visited these communities again during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-5); a journey which started in the year 50. At the beginning of his third journey, around the year 53 (Acts 18:23) while again visiting these communities, he was very surprised to find that the Galatian Christians, most of whom came from a Gentile background, had been led astray by “false brethren,” Judaizers, who made out that Christians should conform to the Mosaic law and, therefore, be circumcised. Saint Paul did not remain in the area and settle the matter but when he reached Ephesus he wrote the Galatians a letter refuting the errors involved. In this letter he addresses the whole question of the relationship between the Gospel and the Mosaic law, between the Old Covenant and the New.
The section of this letter which we hear today gives instructions for the correct use of our Christian freedom; a freedom which did not exist under Mosaic law.
16 I say, then: live by the Spirit
Literally, “walk by the Spirit,” which in the Semitic sense means “conduct oneself.” The Spirit that is the principle of Christian sonship must also be the principle of Christian conduct.
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. 17 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.
The Christian in union with Christ and endowed with the Spirit still struggles with the temptations of “the flesh.” The term “the flesh” is used as a symbol of all that is man in his opposition to God.
18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The Christian under the influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit has an interior principle to counteract “the flesh,” and is no longer merely confronted with the extraneous norm of the Mosaic law.
“The body ... is not an agent but is acted upon. For desire is not of the body but of the soul. ... How then does Paul say ‘the flesh has desires against the Spirit’? By ‘flesh’ he means not the physical body but the evil choice. ... What then? Ought one to suppress the flesh? Was not the one who said this himself clothed with the flesh? ... By ‘flesh’ here he means earthly thoughts that are apathetic and heedless. This is not a condemnation of the body but a reproach of the apathetic soul. For the flesh is an instrument, and no one repudiates and hates the instrument as such, but only the one who handles the instrument badly” [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 393-397), Commentary on the Epistle To The Galatians, 5,17]
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness (lust), 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, 21 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.
We are given a catalog of vices which the Christian must avoid if he would share in the blessings of the kingdom of God, our divine inheritance.
22 In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
we are now given a catalog of virtues (see also 2 Corinthians 6:6; Colossians 3:12-15; Ephesians 4:2; 5:9). Notice how Saint Paul speaks about the “works” of the flesh and the “deeds” of the Spirit but this does not exclude the performance of “good deeds” which are a necessary part of the Christian life. There is no need of a law to be enacted against such virtuous actions. But the Law was “added because of transgressions” (Galatians 3:19).
24 Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
The Christian, crucified with Christ through his faith and baptism (Galatians 2:19), has died not only to the Law but also to his “self.” He has died to “the flesh” with all its earthbound, limited, and degrading tendencies.
“What he means by ‘follow the Spirit’ is ‘let us be content in the power of the Spirit, and let us not seek to augment it with the law.’ Then, having shown that those who introduce circumcision are doing this through ambitious motives, he says, ‘Let us not become proud, which is the cause of evils, calling one another out of factiousness and strife, in jealousy of one another. For jealousy comes from vainglory, and from vainglory all those other evils’” [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 393-397), Commentary on the Epistle To The Galatians, 5,25]
Gospel - John 20:19-23
This reading should also sound familiar as we heard it last on the 2nd Sunday of Easter (Cycle C). What we hear about is Jesus’ first appearance to the apostles.
19 On the evening of that first day of the week,
The first Easter Sunday. All Jesus’ appearances after Easter which are dated (time coded) are on a Sunday.
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst
Through locked doors. The disciples had barricaded themselves in the Upper Room because they were afraid that what had happened to Jesus would happen to them also. After all, they had been His followers.
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Shalom. An ordinary greeting which the Israelite conceived as a gift of Yahweh. The word “Shalom” does not translate well; peace is usually used in English translations but it does not connote the rich meaning: completeness, perfection, a condition in which nothing is lacking.
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The wounds of crucifixion. There is no indication that, like Thomas, the others probed the wounds with their fingers.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
All was not lost after all; their leader had returned.
21 (Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Jesus was sent with authority to bring about healing and repentance; to heal the Church through forgiveness of sins. The sinful nature of man is what had kept him from God all through the Old Covenant. He is sending them with the same authority with which He was given.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.
There is a beautiful play on the Hebrew word ruah which is the same for breath, wind, and spirit. If you recall the Baltimore Catechism definition of a sacrament, what we have here is a sacrament in one verse: an outward sign (He breathed on them) instituted by Christ (He who did the breathing) to give grace (receive the Holy Spirit).
23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
The disciples (and their successors by extension) have the authority to forgive sins in Jesus’ name. The mission of reconciliation was so important to God that He sent His Son to institute the practice. Only through reconciliation with God can we act as His sons and daughters; including eat the family meal (Eucharist) which binds us all together.
“I don’t go to a man to confess to my sins; only God can forgive sins” says the Protestant. “Neither do I” responds the Catholic, “I go to God’s duly appointed and commissioned representative who was given the responsibility of forgiving (or binding) my sins as God works through him. James 5:13-16 says “Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders (presbyters) of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.” Notice that you are to call the presbyters (this is the root word for priests) and confess your sins to him. Why do I confess to a priest? Because the Bible tells me to!
Alternate Gospel - John 15:26-27; 16:12-15
What we hear as our gospel reading is a discussion of the role of the Holy Spirit in relation to the glorification of Christ.
:26 “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. 27 And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
One of the functions of the Holy Spirit will be to continue the witness of Christ. The disciples too, by living the life which Christ has made possible – by being the Church; the continuation of Christ in this world – will be a continuing witness to His work. The witness of the disciples is also the witness of the Spirit (Acts 5:32) since it is the Spirit sent by the Son from the Father who is the “soul” of the Church.
16:12 “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. 13 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.
Even now, at the very end of His public ministry, there is much which Jesus cannot say and which must await the enlightening activity of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will not “speak on His own” just as Jesus did not speak “on His own” but did the will of the Father.
14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 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.
The glorification which the Son has from the Father and which is, in turn, the glorification of the Father, is continued in the Church through the activity of the Holy Spirit which continues the work of Christ. As the existence of the Church is the result of the shared life of the Father and the Son (John 3:35; 5:20; 10:30), so its continuance is the result of the shared life of the Son and the Spirit.
Meditation: "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit!"
Do
you know and experience in your own life the gift and power of the Holy Spirit? After
his death and resurrection Jesus promised to give his disciples the gift of the
Holy Spirit. He said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit! (John 20:22) Jesus
knew that his disciples would need the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out
the mission entrusted to them. The gift of the Holy Spirit was conditional upon
the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of the Father. That is why Jesus
instructed the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until you are clothed with
power from on high (Luke 24:49). Why did they need power from
on high? The Gospels tell us that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit
when he was baptized at the Jordan River:
"And
John bore witness, 'I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it
remained on him... this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit'" (John
1:32,33; Mark 1:8; Matthew 3:11).
"And
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led
by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness... and Jesus returned
in the power of the Spirit into Galilee" (Luke 4:1,14).
Just
as Jesus was anointed with the Spirit at the beginning of his ministry, so the
disciples needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission
entrusted to them by Jesus. The Holy Spirit is given to all who are baptized
into Jesus Christ to enable us to live a new way of life - a life of love,
peace, joy, and righteousness (Romans 14:17). The Holy Spirit fills our hearts
with the love of God (Romans 5:7), and he gives us the strength and courage we
need in order to live as faith-filled disciples of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit
helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26), and enables us to grow in spiritual
freedom - freedom from doubt, fear, and from slavery to our unruly desires (2
Corinthians 3:17; Romans 8:21). The Spirit instructs us in the ways of God, and
guides us in living according to God's will. The Spirit is the source and giver
of all holiness. Isaiah foretold the seven-fold gifts that the Spirit would
give: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of
the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).
The
gift of Pentecost - the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual gifts
and blessings of God - are made possible through the death, resurrection, and
ascension of the Lord Jesus. After his resurrection Jesus "breathed"
on his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit. Just as God breathed life into
Adam, so the gift of the Holy Spirit is an impartation of "new
life" for his people. With the gift of the Holy Spirit a new creation
begins. God recreates us for his glory. Jesus' gift of peace to his disciples
was more than an absence of trouble. His peace included the forgiveness of sins
and the fullness of everything good. Do you want power to live a faith-filled
life as a disciple of Jesus? Ask the Father to fill you with the power of his
Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13).
Basil
the Great (329-379 AD), an early church father, explains the role of the Holy
Spirit in our lives:
"The
Spirit restores paradise to us and the way to heaven and adoption as children
of God; he instills confidence that we may call God truly Father and grants us
the grace of Christ to be children of the light and to enjoy eternal glory. In
a word, he bestows the fullness of blessings in this world and the next; for we
may contemplate now in the mirror of faith the promised things we shall someday
enjoy. If this is the foretaste, what must the reality be? If these are
the first fruits, what must be the harvest?" (From the treatise by Basil
on The Holy Spirit)
The
Lord Jesus offers each one of us the gift and power of his Holy Spirit. He
wants to make our faith strong, give us hope that endures, and a love that
never grows cold. He never refuses to give his Spirit to those who ask with
expectant faith. Jesus instructed his disciples to ask confidently for the gift
of the Spirit: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13). Do you thirst for God and for the
abundant life he offers through the gift of his Spirit?
"Lord
Jesus, I thank you for the gift of Pentecost and for the new life you offer in
the Holy Spirit. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and set my heart ablaze with the
fire of your love that I may serve you in joy and freedom."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The Holy Spirit at Pentecost, by Leo the Great, 400-461
A.D.
"To
the Hebrew people, now freed from Egypt, the law was given on Mount Sinai fifty
days after the immolation of the paschal lamb. Similarly, after the passion of
Christ in which the true Lamb of God was killed, just fifty days after his
resurrection, the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles and the whole group of
believers. Thus the earnest Christian may easily perceive that the beginnings
of the Old Covenant were at the service of the beginnings of the gospel and
that the same Spirit who instituted the first established the Second
Covenant." (excerpt from Sermon 75.1)
Prayer
of Intercession for the Feast of Pentecost
O
living God, come and make our souls temples of thy Spirit.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Baptize thy whole Church with fire, that the divisions soon may cease, and that it may stand before the world as a pillar and buttress of thy truth.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Grant us all the fruits of thy Holy Spirit: brotherly love, joy, peace, patience, goodwill and faithfulness.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
May the Holy Spirit speak by the voice of thy servants, here and everywhere, as they preach thy word.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Send thy Holy Spirit, the comforter, to all who face adversity, or who are the victims of men's wickedness.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Preserve all nations and their leaders from hatred and war, and build up a true community among nations, through the power of thy Spirit.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Holy Spirit, Lord and source of life, giver of the seven gifts,
Sanctify us, O Comforter.
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Spirit of counsel and strength,
Sanctify us, O Comforter.
Spirit of knowledge and devotion, Spirit of obedience to the Lord.
Sanctify us, O Comforter.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Baptize thy whole Church with fire, that the divisions soon may cease, and that it may stand before the world as a pillar and buttress of thy truth.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Grant us all the fruits of thy Holy Spirit: brotherly love, joy, peace, patience, goodwill and faithfulness.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
May the Holy Spirit speak by the voice of thy servants, here and everywhere, as they preach thy word.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Send thy Holy Spirit, the comforter, to all who face adversity, or who are the victims of men's wickedness.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Preserve all nations and their leaders from hatred and war, and build up a true community among nations, through the power of thy Spirit.
Sanctify us, O Lord!
Holy Spirit, Lord and source of life, giver of the seven gifts,
Sanctify us, O Comforter.
Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Spirit of counsel and strength,
Sanctify us, O Comforter.
Spirit of knowledge and devotion, Spirit of obedience to the Lord.
Sanctify us, O Comforter.
(Prayer
of Taize Community)
SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST
SUNDAY, MAY 15, JOHN 20:19-23
(Acts 2:1-11, Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Galatians 5:16-25)
SUNDAY, MAY 15, JOHN 20:19-23
(Acts 2:1-11, Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Galatians 5:16-25)
KEY VERSE: He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit" (v.22).
TO KNOW: The great harvest, that Jesus promised (Lk 10:2) had begun at Pentecost, which the Jews dedicated to the gathering and offering of the first fruits (Hb Shavuot, 50 days after Passover). The Christian feast of Pentecost, which occurs 50 days after Easter, marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples (Acts 2:1-4). In John's Gospel, the resurrection, ascension and the descent of the Spirit occurred on the same Easter Sunday. It is most likely that the disciples were gathered in the upper room where the Last Supper had been held. But they were fearful that the emissaries of the Sanhedrin would come to arrest them. Upon seeing the Risen Lord, the disciples were overjoyed. Just as the breath of God created Adam, the first human being (Gn 2:7), Jesus breathed forth the Spirit creating the new people of God, the Church. Empowered by the Spirit, Jesus' disciples were sent forth to bring peace through the reconciliation of sinners. The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when he sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength so sorely needed by every Christian.
TO LOVE: In what ways has the Holy Spirit empowered my life?
TO SERVE: Holy Spirit, help me to bring peace and forgiveness to others.
NOTE: The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost is called the birthday of the universal Church. Through the Spirit the Church realizes her call to preach the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. The Feast of Pentecost brings the Easter Season to a close. The double Alleluia at the end of Mass will illustrate that. The Easter Candle will be extinguished and moved to the Baptistery. The 90 Days are over. But our call to Mission is not. What gift of service have you received from the Holy Spirit and how well are you using it right now?
ORDINARY TIME
Ordinary Time is called "ordinary" because the weeks are numbered. The Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series, stems from the Latin word ordo, from which we get the English word order. Thus, Ordinary Time is in fact the ordered life of the Church—the period in which we live our lives neither in feasting (as in the Christmas and Easter seasons) or in more severe penance (as in Advent and Lent), but in watchfulness and expectation of the Second Coming of Christ. There are two times we are in Ordinary Time. There are 28 weeks of Ordinary Time after Easter and 5 weeks of Ordinary Time after Christmas. However, this varies depending upon when Easter falls in a particular year. The actual number of weeks of Ordinary Time in any given year can total 33 or 34.
Sunday 15 April 2016
Sun 15th. Pentecost Sunday.
Acts 2:1-11. Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the
face of the earth—Ps 103(104):1, 24, 29-31, 34. Romans 8:8-17. John
14:15-16, 23-26.
The Spirit of Truth.
‘The love of God has been poured into our hearts
through the Spirit of God dwelling within us.’ The Holy Spirit was always
somewhat of a mystery to me. I understood the notion of God the Father and God
the Son from a young age, but the third person in the Trinity was more elusive.
The image of the dove and tongues of fire were harder concepts to grasp and so
I did not try to understand it.
At adoration one day, I felt inspired to ask God to
reveal the Holy Spirit to me. He obliged, and as I gazed upon the Blessed
Sacrament, I felt my heart fill up with a love and joy unlike anything I’d ever
known.
Lord, this Pentecost, I thank you for the gift of the
Holy Spirit. Help me to know that your grace is enough for me and to remember
to ask you for it.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Blessed
Be God
|
We
never forget the central theme: Behind it all, in it all, and through it all is
the God who is love. Our response within all the everyday responses of daily
life is, “Blessed be God because he is good.”
May 15
St. Isidore the Farmer
(1070-1130)
St. Isidore the Farmer
(1070-1130)
Isidore has become the patron of farmers
and rural communities. In particular he is the patron of Madrid, Spain, and of
the United States National Rural Life Conference.
When he was barely old enough to wield a hoe, Isidore
entered the service of John de Vergas, a wealthy landowner from Madrid, and
worked faithfully on his estate outside the city for the rest of his life. He
married a young woman as simple and upright as himself who also became a
saint—Maria de la Cabeza. They had one son, who died as a child.
Isidore had deep religious instincts. He rose early in
the morning to go to church and spent many a holiday devoutly visiting the
churches of Madrid and surrounding areas. All day long, as he walked behind the
plow, he communed with God. His devotion, one might say, became a problem, for
his fellow workers sometimes complained that he often showed up late because of
lingering in church too long.
He was known for his love of the poor, and there are
accounts of Isidore’s supplying them miraculously with food. He had a great
concern for the proper treatment of animals.
He died May 15, 1130, and was declared a saint in 1622
with Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila and Philip Neri.
Together, the group is known in Spain as “the five saints.”
Comment:
Many implications can be found in a simple laborer achieving sainthood: Physical labor has dignity; sainthood does not stem from status; contemplation does not depend on learning; the simple life is conducive to holiness and happiness. Legends about angel helpers and mysterious oxen indicate that his work was not neglected and his duties did not go unfulfilled. Perhaps the truth which emerges is this: If you have your spiritual self in order, your earthly commitments will fall into order also. “[S]eek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness,” said the carpenter from Nazareth, “and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33).
Many implications can be found in a simple laborer achieving sainthood: Physical labor has dignity; sainthood does not stem from status; contemplation does not depend on learning; the simple life is conducive to holiness and happiness. Legends about angel helpers and mysterious oxen indicate that his work was not neglected and his duties did not go unfulfilled. Perhaps the truth which emerges is this: If you have your spiritual self in order, your earthly commitments will fall into order also. “[S]eek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness,” said the carpenter from Nazareth, “and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33).
Quote:
“God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.... See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food’” (Genesis 1:28a, 29–30a).
“God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.... See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food’” (Genesis 1:28a, 29–30a).
Patron Saint of:
Farmers
Laborers
Farmers
Laborers
LECTIO DIVINA: PENTECOST
SUNDAY (C)
Lectio Divina: Sunday, May
15, 2016
The
promise of a Consoler. The Holy Spirit,
teacher
and living memory of the Word of Jesus
John
14, 15-16.23-26
1. Opening prayer
Most
merciful Father, on this most holy day I cry to you from my room behind closed
doors. I raise my prayer to you in fear and immobility in the face of death.
Grant that Jesus may come to me and dwell at the centre of my heart that he may
drive away all fear and all darkness. Grant me your peace, which is true peace,
peace of heart. Grant that the Holy Spirit may come to me, the Spirit who is
the fire of love, that warms and enlightens, that melts and purifies; who is
living water, flowing even to eternal life, that quenches and cleans, that
baptises and renews; who is the strong and at the same time soft wind, the
breath of your voice and breath; who is dove announcing pardon, a new and
lasting beginning for the whole world.
Send
your Spirit upon me when I read and listen to your Word so that I may penetrate
the mysteries it holds; grant that I may be overwhelmed and submerged, baptised
and made into a new person, so that I may give my life to you and to my
brothers and sisters. Amen, Alleluia
2. Reading
a)
Placing the passage in its context:
These
few verses, which are not even well connected, are a few drops of water taken
from an ocean. In fact, they are part of that long and grandiose discourse in
John’s Gospel, which begins with chapter 13:31 and goes up to and including the
whole of chapter 17. The whole of this very deep discourse deals with only one
theme, that is, the “going of Jesus”, which we find in 13:33: “Yet a little
while I am with you… Where I go you cannot come” and in 16:28: “I came from the
Father and have come into the world. Again I leave the world and go to the
Father” and again in 17:13: “Now I am coming to you, [Father]”. Jesus’ going to
the Father signifies also our going, our essential and faith journey in this world;
it is here that we learn to follow Jesus, to listen to him, to live like him.
It is here that we receive the complete revelation of Jesus in the mystery of
the Trinity as well as the revelation concerning a Christian life, its power,
its tasks, its joys and sorrows, its hopes and struggles. In reflecting on
these words we find the truth of the Lord Jesus and of ourselves before Him and
in Him.
These
verses speak especially of three very strong consoling reasons for us: the
promise of the coming of the Consoler; the coming of the Father and the Son
within those who believe; the presence of a master, the Holy Spirit, through
whom the teachings of Jesus will never cease.
b) To
help us with the reading of the passage:
vv.
15-16: Jesus reveals that the observance of the commandments is not a matter of
obligation, but a sweet fruit that is born of the love of the disciple for Him.
This loving obedience is due to the all-powerful prayer of Jesus for us. The
Lord promises another Consoler, sent by the Father, who will always remain with
us in order to drive away our solitude once and for all.
vv.
23-24: Jesus repeats that love and observance of the commandments are two vital
truths essentially related to each other, that have the power to introduce the
disciple into the mystical life, that is, into the experience of immediate and
personal communion with Jesus and with the Father.
v.
25: Jesus says something very important: there is a substantial difference
between what he said while he was with the disciples and what he will say
later, when, thanks to the Spirit, He will be in them, within them. At first,
understanding is limited because the relationship with him is an external one:
the Word comes from outside and reaches ears, but not pronounced within. Later,
understanding will be full.
v.
26: Jesus announces the Holy Spirit as master who will teach no longer from
outside but from within us. He will give new life to the Words of Jesus, those
forgotten will be remembered and will be understood by the disciples within
their capabilities.
c) The
text:
John
14, 15-16.23-2615 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I
will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you
for ever.
23
Jesus answered him, "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. 24 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.
25
"These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26 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.
3. A time of prayerful silence
I go
to the Master’s school, the Holy Spirit. I sit at his feet and I abandon myself
in his presence. I open my heart, without any fear, so that he may instruct,
console, reprove and make me grow.
4. A few questions
a)
“If you love me”. Is my relationship with Jesus a relationship of love? Do I
make room for him in my heart? Do I look within myself honestly and ask: “Where
is love in my life, is there any?” If I realise that there is no love within
me, or just a little, do I try to ask myself: “What is preventing me, what is
it that keeps me closed, imprisoned, rendering me sad and lonely?”
b)
“You will observe my commandments”. I notice the verb “to observe” with the
many meanings it implies: to look after well, to protect, to pay attention, to
keep alive, to reserve and preserve, not to throw away, to keep carefully, with
love. Am I aware and enlightened by these attitudes, by my relationship as
disciple, as Christian, with the Word and the commandments that Jesus gave us
for our happiness?
c)
“He will give you another Consoler”. How often have I not searched for someone
to console me, to look after me, to show me affection and care for me! But, am
I truly convinced that true consolation comes from the Lord? Or do I still
trust much more in the consolations I find, the ones that I beg for here and
there, that I gather like crumbs without ever being able to be satisfied?
d)
“Make our home with him”. The Lord stands at the door and knocks and waits. He
does not force or oblige. He says: “If you wish…”. He suggests that I might
become his home, the place of his repose, of his intimacy. Jesus is ready and
happy to come to me, to unite himself to me in a very special kind of
friendship. But, am I ready? Am I expecting his visit, his coming, his entering
into my most intimate, most personal self? Is there room for him in the inn?
e)
“He will…bring to your remembrance all that I have said”. The word
“remembrance” recalls another very important, even essential matter. Am I
challenged and scrutinised by Scripture? What is it that I recall? What do I
try to remember, to bring to life in my interior world? The Word of the Lord is
a most precious treasure; it is the seed of life that is sown in my heart; but
do I look after this seed? Do I defend it from a thousand enemies and dangers
that assail it: the birds, the rocks, the thorns, the evil one? Do I, every
morning, carry with me a Word of the Lord to remember during the day and to
make my inner light, my strength, my food?
5. A key to the reading
I now
approach each one of the characters in the reading and I listen prayerfully,
meditatively, reflectively, in contemplation…
The
face of the Father:
Jesus
says: “I will ask the Father” (v. 26) and thus draws aside a little the
mysterious veil surrounding prayer: prayer is the life that leads to the
Father. To go to the Father, we are given the way of prayer. As Jesus lives his
relationship with the Father by means of prayer, so also must we. I need to
read the Gospels and become a careful searcher of signs concerning this secret
of the love of Jesus and his Father, so that, by entering into that
relationship, I too may grow in the knowledge of God, my Father
“He
will give you another Consoler”. The Father is the one who gives us the
Consoler. This gift is preceded by the Father’s act of love, who knows that we
need consolation: He saw my misery in Egypt and heard my cry. He indeed knows
my sufferings and sees the oppressions that torment me (cfr. Es 3: 7-9);
nothing goes unnoticed by his infinite love for me. That is why He gives us the
Consoler. The Father is the Giver. Everything comes to us from Him and no one
else.
“My
Father will love him” (v. 24). The Father is the Lover who loves with an
eternal love, absolute, inviolable, uncancellable. Thus do Isaiah, Jeremiah and
all the Prophets say (cfr. Jer 31:3; Is 43:4; 54: 8; Hos 2:21; 11:1).
“We
will come to him”. The Father is united with the Son, Jesus, and is one with
Him, and with Him comes to each one of us. He moves, goes out, bends and walks
towards us. Urged by a mad and inexplicable love, He comes to us.
“And
we will make our home with him”. The Father builds his house within us; he
makes of us, of me, of my existence, of my whole being, his home. He comes and
will not leave but faithfully stays.
The
face of the Son:
“If
you love me…” (v. 15); “If anyone loves me…” (v. 23). Jesus enters into a
unique and personal relationship with me, face to face, heart to heart, soul to
soul; he wants to have an intense relationship, unique, unrepeatable, and he
unites me to Him by love if I so wish. He always puts an “if” and says when he
asks me by name: “If you wish…”. The only way He constantly seeks to come to me
is through love. In fact, it is noticeable that the use of the pronouns “you”
and “anyone” are connected to “me” by the verb “to love” and no other verb.
“I
will ask the Father” (v. 16). Jesus is the one who prays, who lives by prayer
and for prayer. The whole of his life is summed up by prayer and in prayer. He
is the supreme and eternal priest who intercedes for us and offers prayers and
supplications together with tears (cfr. Heb 5: 7), for our salvation; “he is
able at all times to save those who come to God through him, since he lives
always to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25).
“If
anyone loves me, he will keep my word” (v. 23); “He who does not love me, does
not keep my words” (v. 24). Jesus offers me his Word, he gives it to me in
trust that I may look after it and guard it, that I may place it in my heart
and there keep it warm, watch over it, contemplate it, listen to it and thus
make it bear fruit. His word is a seed; it is the most precious pearl of all,
for which it is worthwhile selling every other wealth; it is the treasure
hidden in the field worth digging for without counting the cost; it is the fire
that makes the heart burn within my breast; it is the lamp that illumines our
steps even in the darkest night. Love for the Word of Jesus can be identified
by my love for Jesus himself, for his whole being, because, after all, He is
the Word. That is why, in this passage, Jesus is crying out to my heart that he
is the one I must keep.
The
face of the Holy Spirit:
“The
Father will give you another Consoler” (v. 16). The Father gives us the Holy
Spirit; this is “the good gift and every perfect gift from above” (Jm 1:17). He
is “the other Consoler” other than Jesus, who goes and comes back so as not to
leave us alone, abandoned. While I am in this world, I do not lack consolation,
but am comforted by the presence of the Holy Spirit, who is not just consolation,
but is much more: he is a living person and living beside me always. This
presence, this company is capable of giving me joy, true joy. In fact Paul
says: “The fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace…” (Gal 5:22; cfr. also Rm
14:17).
“to
be with you forever”. The Spirit is in our midst, he is with me, just as Jesus
was with his disciples. His coming is a physical, personal presence; I do not
see him, but I know that he is there and that he will never leave me. The
spirit is always here and lives with me and in me, with no limitations of time
or space; thus he is the Consoler.
“He
will teach you all things” (v. 26). The Holy Spirit is the Teacher, he who
opens the way for conscience, experience; no one except him can lead me, inform
me, give me new form. His is not a school where one acquires human knowledge
that creates pride and does not liberate; his teachings, his whisperings, his
precise directions come from God and lead back to God. The Spirit teaches true
wisdom and true knowledge (Ps 118:66), he teaches the Father’s will (Ps
118:26.64), his ways (Ps 24:4), his commandments (Ps 118:124.135), which are
life. He is a Teacher capable of leading me to the whole truth (Jn 16:13), who
gives me deep freedom, even to the time of the separation of the soul and the
spirit, for He alone, who is God, can bring me to life and resurrection. As
God, he is humble, he lowers himself, descends from his throne and enters into
me (cfr. Acts 1:8; 10:44), he gives himself to me entirely and absolutely; he
is not jealous of his gift, of his light, but gives without limits.
6. A moment of prayer: Psalm 30
A
hymn of praise to God,
who
has sent us the new life of the Spirit from on high
Ref.
You have given me the fullness of life, Lord, alleluia!
I
will extol thee, O Lord,
for
thou hast drawn me up,
and
hast not let my foes rejoice over me.
O
Lord my God, I cried to thee for help,
and
thou hast healed me.
O
Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored
me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. Rit.
Sing
praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and
give thanks to his holy name.
For
his anger is but for a moment,
and
his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping
may tarry for the night,
but
joy comes with the morning. Rit.
As
for me, I said in my prosperity,
"I
shall never be moved."
By
thy favour, O Lord,
thou
hadst established me as a strong mountain;
thou
didst hide thy face, I was dismayed.
To
thee, O Lord,
I
cried; and to the Lord I made supplication. Rit.
Hear,
O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O
Lord, be thou my helper!"
Thou
hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
thou
hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
that
my soul may praise thee and not be silent.
O
Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever. Rit.
7. Closing prayer
Holy
Spirit, allow me to speak to you again. It is difficult for me to go away from
my meeting with the Word because you are present there. Therefore, live and act
in me. I present to you, to your intimacy, your Love, my face of disciple; I
mirror myself in you, O Holy Spirit. I offer you, finger of God’s right hand,
my features, my eyes, my lips, my ears… work in me your healing, your
liberation and salvation that I may be reborn, today, a new person from the
womb of your fire, the breath of your wind. Holy Spirit, I was not born to be
alone. I beg you, therefore, send me brothers and sisters that I may proclaim
to them the life that comes from you. Amen. Alleluia!
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