Solemnity of the Pentecost (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: The Holy Spirit teaches those who keep the word of God.
Theme: We keep the word of God when we manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit in serving Him.
Promise: “The glory of the Lord endures forever.”(Ps 104: 31)
Reflection:
The Feast of Pentecost marks the end of the Easter season and the birthday of the Church. Jesus enters the Upper Room where the disciples are gathered, gives them the gift of peace, and sends them to continue His work. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you,”
He says, breathing His Holy Spirit upon them. From that moment on, the disciples became new persons, full of courage and confidence, fearlessly preaching Jesus.We go through a similar experience today, when we receive the Holy Spirit during our baptism in the spirit. It brings us to a new life, and empowers us.
The disciples received power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. They began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. They received the understanding and faith needed to fulfill the mission entrusted to them by Jesus to proclaim the good news to all nations. They went into the streets to proclaim their faith in the Risen Lord, even if they knew they could be persecuted for doing so. With great courage the disciples spoke of the mighty works that the Father had done in Jesus as they had seen and heard while they walked with Him from the beginning of His ministry until His Ascension. God now had become a power within them, putting their hearts on fire. Once they had received the Holy Spirit, they “began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them,” (Acts 2:4).
The same Holy Spirit who guided Jesus throughout His life, was passed on to His disciples when He told them “receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive sins they are forgiven them if you hold them bound they are held bound,” (Jn 20:22b-23).God does the same thing to us when we receive the Holy Spirit through our baptism in the spirit.
The Holy Spirit touches us in ways that result in our commitment to Christ and to humanity. If we see ourselves as gifted people of God, then we are encouraged to share that gift with others. When we do that in His name, we proclaim the powerful Spirit-filled Good News that is our theme this week: We keep the word of God when we manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit in serving Him. That is why we need the light of Pentecost, a light that illuminates every aspect of Jesus. As we proclaim “Jesus is Lord,” it becomes more than lip service. It signifies that we want Jesus to rule over everything in our live – our job, our finances, all our comings and goings.
“I am going away and I will come back to you.” How reassuring is it that our God is a God who continues to reach out to us and desires to be united with us. Let us hold on to these comforting words of our Lord. He promised that He will always be with us. Let Him tell each one of us again: “Be still and know that I am God,” (Ps 46:11). He promises His friends: “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,” (Jn 14:26). God’s Spirit and grace are always available to us.Just as Jesus promises us in today’s gospel that He will send us His Spirit to teach us and to help us remember.Let us pray that through His Holy Spirit, the Lord may set our hearts on fire with the love, as we proclaim the Good News to everyone. And let us find inspiration in the promise of this week: “The glory of the Lord endures forever,” (Ps 104:31), and open our hearts to the Spirit of Love that we will experience the transforming power and grace of a new Pentecost.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you fulfilled your promise by sending us your Holy Spirit. May that Spirit unite the races and nations on earth and make the human family one in love and peace. All for your name sake. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. How are the gifts of the Holy Spirit manifested in your daily lives?
2. How does the power of the Holy Spirit help you in serving others?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
May 15, 2016 (Sun) Acts 2:1-11/Ps 104:1,24,31,34m29-30/1Cor 12:3-7,12-13/Jn 20:19-23
May 16, 2016 (Mon) Jas 3:13-18/Ps 19:8,9,10,15/Mk 9:14-29
May 17, 2016 (Tue) Jas 4:1-10/Ps 55:7-8,9-10,10-11,23/Mk 9:30-37
May 18, 2016 (Wed) Jas 4:13-17/Ps 49:2-3,6-7,8-10,11/Mk 9:38-40
May 19, 2016 (Thu) Jas 5:1-6/Ps 49:14-15,15-16,17-18,19-20/Mk 9:41-50
May 20, 2016 (Fri) Jas 5:9-12/Ps 103:1-2,3-4,8-9,11-12/Mk 10:1-12
May 21, 2016 (Sat) Jas 5:13-20/Ps 141:1-2,3,8/Mk 10:13-16
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
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