Mass during the Day
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| “The Descent of the Holy Ghost” (detail), by Tiziano Vecellio c. 1545 |
Catechism Links[1]
CCC 696, 726, 731-732, 737-741, 830, 1076, 1287, 2623: Pentecost
CCC 599, 597,674, 715: Apostolic witness on Pentecost
CCC 1152, 1226, 1302, 1556: The mystery of Pentecost continues in the Church
CCC 767, 775, 798, 796, 813, 1097, 1108-1109: The Church, communion in the Spirit
Readings and Commentary:[4]
Reading 1: Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11
Commentary on Acts 2:1-11
“When the Time for Pentecost was fulfilled” – the word in its Greek form means “fifty” so we understand this phrase to mean – fifty days after Christ’s resurrection (Easter). An interesting coincidence is the Jewish Festival of Weeks (Harvest Festival “Shavuoth”) was also called Pentecost. Whether it was taken first by the Christians and later adopted by the Hellenistic Jews we do not know.
Those present (not just the disciples) heard a loud noise like the rushing of the wind. This signified a new action by God. Indeed we see the symbol of the Holy Spirit, a flame, descend upon the Apostles launching them into prayers of ecstasy that were heard by all present in their own language. This event can be interpreted as a representation of the universal mission of the Church to all peoples of all nations.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 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.
Commentary on Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
In Psalm 104 we find a refrain that is the most popular hymn sung at Pentecost. The final strophe recognizes the third person of God and asks for the blessing of the Holy Spirit.
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
Commentary on 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13
In this letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul acknowledges the role of the Holy Spirit and the different gifts supplied to the members of the Mystical Body of Christ. At the same time he also proclaims the oneness of the triune God. The unity theme is carried finally to the people of God who are one in the spirit and therefore one with God.
CCC: 1 Cor 12 1988, 2003; 1 Cor 12:3 152, 449, 455, 683, 2670, 2681; 1 Cor 12:4-6 249; 1 Cor 12:6 308; 1 Cor 12:7 801, 951; 1 Cor 12:13 694, 790, 798, 1227, 1267, 1396
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Gospel: John 20:19-23
Commentary on Jn 20:19-23
St. John gives us the picture of the disciples (now Apostles) in hiding immediately following the Lord’s crucifixion. Twice Jesus comes to them, once with Thomas absent, and then again when he is present.
There are a number of very important elements of this version of the story. First, the Lord’s greeting: “Peace be with you.” While this may have been a simple Shalom, it is more likely intended to emphasize the rejoicing sense of the meeting. Immediately the Lord sends them on their mission: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you." As part of this action, we are told the Lord gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen them, and gives them authority to act in his name.
CCC: Jn 20:19 575, 643, 645, 659; Jn 20:20 645; Jn 20:21-23 1087, 1120, 1441; Jn 20:21 730, 858; Jn 20:22-23 976, 1485; Jn 20:22 730, 788, 1287; Jn 20:23 1461, 2839
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Homily:
For the past seven weeks
we have celebrated our joy in the knowledge that Jesus, who was crucified,
died, and was buried, has risen as he promised.
In rising he opened the gates of heaven and paved the way for our
salvation. It has been a fifty-day celebration
and today, Pentecost, we conclude out Easter with a coming-out party.
Pentecost is, for the
Church, like Christmas is to Jesus. It is, in essence, the birth of the
Church’s mission. I’d like to read you a quote from Pope John VI from an
address he made back in 1969:
"Today, as you know, the Church was fully
born, through the breath of Christ, the Holy Spirit; and in the Church was born
the Word, the witness to and promulgation of salvation in the risen Jesus. “
He goes on to say:
“…and in [those] who listen to this promulgation
is born faith, and with faith a new life, an awareness of the Christian
vocation and the ability to hear that calling and to follow it by living a
genuinely human life, indeed a life which is not only human but holy. And to
make this divine intervention effective, today was born the apostolate, the
priesthood, the ministry of the Spirit, the calling to unity, fraternity and
peace"
This Pentecost we
celebrate is more than simply the fulfillment of a prophecy recorded in the
sacred books of the Old Testament. It is more than the fulfillment of a
promise, although it is Jesus’ promise fulfilled. It is more than simply
the revelation of the third person of the Trinity, although in establishing
that Divine Advocate within us the Holy Spirit is both revealed and active.
We look at the
appearance of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus. Actually, we can go
back to the very moment of his conception in Blessed Mary’s womb. We are
told that the Lord himself was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Recall the
words in St. Luke’s Gospel as the Archangel Gabriel tells an astonished Mary: "The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) From the very instant of his conception
the essence of God the Father and the Holy Spirit were established in the truly
human Jesus who walked among us.
We find that dove-like
presence again in the life of Jesus as he walks out of the Jordan River after
St. John the Baptist reluctantly provides symbolic repentance (for how could it
have been other than symbolic for one who is sinless from birth?). “After
Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were
opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and)
coming upon him.”(Matthew 3:16) That moment marked the beginning of the Lord’s
active mission to proclaim God’s Kingdom and the salvation flowing from it.
The same gift of the
Holy Spirit was given to each of us in our own baptism where we were
sanctified, made holy, and claimed for God’s service and care. Like the
Lord, at baptism we were given a piece of God’s mission. We or our
proxies (our parents) made promises, a pledge to God and his Church; our belief
in God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and our rejection of all that is evil in
the world. At Confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit was sealed as we once
more promised to obey his direction and follow the path Christ has laid out for
us.
What a precious gift he
has left us in the Holy Spirit. Indeed, without that strength and grace,
we would fail utterly in the task he has left us; to carry out the work he
began and to bring the love and peace of God to all people. We see what a
remarkable transformation that spiritual gift can accomplish when it is tapped.
Look at the story in St. John’s Gospel.
The disciples (now
Apostles) were utterly grief stricken at the Lord’s death on the cross.
They are incredulous at seeing his Glorified Body enter the locked room
where they cower. The Lord breaths upon them and the Holy Spirit fills
them and they are suddenly transformed into towers of courage, able to
proclaim the risen Christ to all peoples of all cultures.
This is the strength we
have been given. This is the grace that fills us and like all gifts from
God, many and varied though they be, we are called upon to use those gifts to
further the mission of Christ and His Church. We are called to bring the
good news to all we meet; in actuality we are called upon to be the good news.
Through our actions guided by the Holy Spirit we are called to be a flame
that brings light to the world.
Pentecost brings an end
to our Easter Season; the season of rejoicing. It now launches us into
the world at large, invigorated, refreshed and renewed in the Risen Lord to
bring the love of God into the world. We call on you now as Church to
bring that light to the world.
Pax
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014
[2] The Picture Used today is “The Descent of the Holy Ghost” (detail), by Tiziano Vecellio c. 1545
[3] S.S.Commemoratio
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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