At Pentecost, we commemorate the descent
or outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the earth.
Invitation
May I take this opportunity to draw your attention to the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation aims to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
Everyone, without exception,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day
Introduction
Today we commemorate the gift of the Spirit to the Apostles.
Pentecost also marks the birth of the Church, the Body of Christ.
The peace which the Lord then wished abundantly upon his disciples
is also promised to us today.
Let us open our hearts to his word,
which fills us with joy and grants us a deep peace.
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,
they were all together in one place.
Suddenly there came from heaven
a sound like a mighty rushing wind,
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Something like tongues of fire appeared to them,
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and they began to speak in other languages,
as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem,
godly men
who had come from every nation under heaven.
When that sound occurred, they gathered together;
and to their amazement,
everyone heard them speaking in their own language.
They were beside themselves and said in wonder:
“But are not all those speaking there Galileans?
“How is it then
that each of us hears them speaking
in our own native tongue?
“Parthians, Medes and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, of Judea and Cappadocia,
of Pontus and Asia,
of Phrygia and Pamphylia,
of Egypt and the region of Libya near Cyrene,
the Romans living here,
Jews and proselytes alike,
Cretans and Arabs,
we hear them speaking in our own languages about God’s mighty deeds.”
Responsorial Ps . 104(103), 1ab and 24ac, 29bc-30, 31 and 34
Refrain
Sendforthyour Spirit
and renew your creation.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
how great you are, Lord my God!
How manifold are thy works, O Lord,
the earth is full of thy creatures.
If thou take away their spirit, they perish,
and return to the earth.
But if thou sendest thy Spirit, there is life again,
and thou renewest thy creation.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever,
May He find His joy in all His creatures.
May my words be pleasing to Him,
then I shall rejoice in the Lord.
SECOND READING 1 Cor. 12, 3b-7, 12-13
In one and the same Spirit we have been made one body through baptism.
From the first letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the
Christians of Corinth
Brothers and sisters,
No one can say:
‘Jesus is Lord’
except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different gifts, but only one Spirit.
There are many forms of service,
but only one Lord.
There are various kinds of work,
but there is only one God
who works all things in all people.
But to each of us
the revelation of the Spirit is given
for the common good.
The human body, with its many members, forms a single whole;
all the members, however many there may be, together make up one body.
So it is with Christ.
For we all, Jews and Greeks, slaves and free,
have been made one body in the power of one and the same Spirit,
through baptism, and we have all been baptised with one Spirit.
Sequence
Come, O Spirit of the Lord, come,
from the heavenly sanctuary,
where Thou standest before God’s face.
Come, comfort of the poor, descend,
come and bestow your gifts, Lord,
come, be light in our hearts.
Come, O Comforter, Holy Spirit,
gentleness that heals the soul,
come, sweet and gentle refreshment.
Come, O peace in the struggle,
refreshment for the suffering heart,
peace that stills all unrest.
Light full of blessing,
shine in our darkness,
take our hearts into Your care.
Without Your secret glow
there is no good in man,
the soul is not pure in purpose.
Wash away what is filthy and unclean,
flood our parched domain,
heal the wounded soul,
soften what has grown hard,
warm the cold heart,
guide those who cannot find the way.
Grant your gifts sevenfold
to all who trust in You,
who rely wholly on You.
Stand by us with your love,
that our end may be blessed,
grant us joy that never fades.
Versicle before the Gospel
Alleluia
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful believers
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
On the evening of the first day of the week,
when the doors of the disciples’ dwelling
were locked for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came in,
stood in their midst and said:
“Peace be with you.”
Having said this,
He showed them His hands and His side.
The disciples
were filled with joy when they saw the Lord.
Once again Jesus said to them:
“Peace be with you.
“As the Father has sent me,
so I send you.”
After these words, He breathed on them and said:
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
“If you forgive anyone’s sins,
they are forgiven;
and if you do not forgive them,
they are not forgiven.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On Care for Our Common Home
125. When we reflect on the proper relationship between human beings and the world around them, it is essential to have a correct understanding of work, for when we speak of the relationship between human beings and things, the question arises as to the meaning and purpose of human influence on reality. We are not speaking merely of manual labour or
the cultivation of the earth, but of every activity that involves some
change to what already exists, from the formulation of a social
proposal to the planning of a technical development. Every
form of work presupposes an idea of the relationship that man can or
must establish with that which is other than himself. Christian spirituality
, together with the contemplative wonder at creation that we find in St Francis of Assisi,
has also developed a rich and healthy idea about labour, as we encounter it, for example,
in the life of Blessed Charles de Foucauld and his disciples.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this edition is taken fromThe New Bible Translation,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Reflections from Liturgical Suggestions for Weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official english translation
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