At Pentecost, we commemorate the descending or outpouring of the Holy Spirit on earth.
Invitation
May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wants to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
Everyone, no one except,
can experience this joy by opening his heart
to the healing effect of God’s word.
Available every day
Opening words
On the fiftieth day after Easter
our faith community celebrates Pentecost.
Today the promise of the risen Lord is fulfilled:
‘Always I remain with you’.
That abiding presence reveals itself
in love, goodness, and kindness,
in patience, trust, and gentleness
in peace and joy.
For as one recognizes a tree by its fruit
so the Holy Spirit is recognized
by the fruits of what animates and enthuses Christians.
Grateful for those many good fruits of God’s Spirit, in and around us,
we celebrate Eucharist.
FIRST READING Acts 2, 1-11
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak.
From the Acts of the Apostles
When the day of Pentecost came,
all were gathered in the same place.
Suddenly there came from heaven
a noise as if a violent wind had come up
And the whole house where they were sitting was filled with it.
Something like fire appeared to them, and it descended upon every one of them, divided into tongues.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in foreign tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now Jews were living in Jerusalem,
pious men
who came from all the nations under heaven.
When that sound arose, they ran to their feet,
and to their amazement
everyone heard them speaking in their own language.
They were beside themselves and said in amazement:
“But are not all those who speak there Galileans?
“Then how is it
How is it that every one of us hears them
in his own mother tongue?
“Partans, Medes and Elamites,
people of Mesopotamia, of Judea and Cappadocia,
of Pontus and Asia,
of Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the area of Libya near Cyrene,
the Romans who reside here,
Jews as well as proselytes,
Cretans and Arabs,
we hear them speaking in our own language of God’s great deeds.”
Responsorial Ps. 104(103), 1ab and 24ac, 29bc-30, 31 and 34
Refrain
Send forth thy spirit
And make your creation new again.
Glorify, my soul, the Lord,
How great art Thou, Lord my God!
How much hast Thou done, Lord!
the earth is full of Thy creatures.
Take away Thy spirit, and they perish,
and return to the earth.
But if Thou dost send forth Thy spirit, life will come again,
And Thou preparest a new creation.
The glory of the Lord endureth forever,
And He delights in all His creatures.
May my words be pleasing to Him,
And I will rejoice in the Lord.
SECOND READING 1 Cor 12:3b-7.12-13
In one and the same Spirit through baptism, we have become one body.
From the first letter of the holy apostle Paul to the Christians of Corinth
Brothers and sisters,
No one can say:
“Jesus is Lord”
unless through the Holy Spirit.
There are various gifts but only one Spirit.
There are many forms of service
but only one Lord.
There are all kinds of work
but there is only one God
who brings about all in all.
But the revelation of the Spirit is given to each one of us
for the good of all.
The human body, with its many limbs, is one whole;
all the limbs, however many, make up one body.
So it is also with Christ.
All of us, Jews and Greeks, slaves and free
in the power of one and the same Spirit
became one body through baptism
and we have all been watered with one Spirit.
Sequence
Come, O Spirit of the Lord, come
from the heavenly sanctuary,
where Thou standest before the face of God.
Come to comfort the poor, descend,
come and bestow thy gifts, Lord,
Come, be light in the hearts.
Come, O comforter, Holy Spirit,
softness that healeth the soul,
come, sweet and mild refreshment.
Come, O peace in battle,
refreshment for the suffering heart,
the peace that stills all restlessness.
Light that is full of blessing,
shine in our darkness,
take the hearts for You.
Without your secret glow
there is no good in man,
the soul is not pure of purpose.
Wash away what is dirty and impure,
flood our barren domain,
heal the soul that is wounded,
soften again what is rigid,
nurture the calloused heart,
guide the wayless.
Give your gifts sevenfold
each one that trusts in You,
rely on You completely.
Assist us with your love,
that our end may be blessed,
give us joy that perishes not.
Verse for the Gospel
Alleluia
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 20, 19-23
As the Father has sent me, so I send you, receive the Holy Spirit.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
In the evening of the first day of the week,
when the doors of the disciples’ dwelling place
were closed for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came in,
stood in their midst and said:
“Peace be unto you.”
After having said this
He showed them His hands and His side.
The disciples
were filled with joy when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said to them:
“Peace be with you.
“As the Father has sent Me,
I send you.”
After these words He breathed on them and said:
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
“If you forgive anyone’s sins,
then they are forgiven,
and if ye forgive them not,
they are not forgiven.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclic of
POPE FRANCIS
On the Care of the Common Home
183. An environmental impact study should not come after the elaboration of a production project or any policy, plan or programme. It should be included from the beginning and elaborated in an interdisciplinary, transparent manner independent of any economic and political pressure. It must be linked to an analysis of working conditions and the possible effects on people’s physical and mental health, on the local economy, on security. This will allow one to foresee the economic results in a more realistic way, taking into account the possible scenarios and possibly anticipating the need for greater investment to solve unwanted effects that can be corrected. It is always necessary to get consent from the various social actors, who can bring different perspectives, solutions and alternatives. But in the debate, the residents of the place should have a privileged place: they ask themselves the questions about what they want for themselves and their own children, and they can consider the ends that transcend the immediate economic interest. One must move away from the idea of “intervening” in the environment to make way for a politics that is considered and debated by all stakeholders. Participation requires all to be adequately informed about the different aspects and the different risks and opportunities, and is not limited to a decision at the beginning on a project, but also involves control and constant monitoring. There is a need for honesty and truth in scientific and political discussions without being limited to taking into account what is or is not allowed by legislation.
To be continued.
The Bible text in this edition is taken from De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Recitals from Liturgical suggestions for the week and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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