Pentecost Sunday 2013 Homily & Reading

1. Today’s feast is appropriate as we celebrate our 120th anniversary cloth with the theme Arise Catholic Faithful – Rejoice & Renew
2. Today marks the outpouring of the Spirit and the out-dooring of the Church
3. Theologically, the Church was born out of the side of Christ when water and blood gashed out of His sides when He was pierced with the lance on the Cross
4. As in our tradition when a child is born, it is kept indoors till the naming ceremony when the child is out-doored & named. So when Christ ascended into Heaven He asked the Apostles to gather in Jerusalem and pray till the Advocate came.
5. For the Apostles they were to stay indoors & they did till the Holy Spirit came down on them
6. What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit
7. We needed to have come for the preparation of the out-dooring of the out pouring of the Holy Spirit – the nine days novena – most of us did not come, including me. I pledge to attend next year.
8. Even if we did not come for the communal novena, did we prepare privately?
9. Holy Spirit is a gift that was given to the Church & not to any individual. It is the reason why we need to come together. So we cannot question why we should gather together at Mass, to pray & worship God. They were together before the Holy Spirit came on them. Jesus intended for us to come together in prayer & worship.
10. We are celebrating our identity as Christians as we celebrate Penteost
11. We need to reflect on the significance of the Holy Spirit, giving to us as a gift.
12. We need to keep the gift of the Holy Spirit intact & use it.
13. The Holy Spirit is the sanctifies & prepares us for the future. It is like an investment given to us that should grow & bear fruit & benefit us in the future.
14. What does the Holy Spirit do in our lives;
15. In the 1st reading the people came & heard the Apotles speak in their own language
16. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Communication – the challenges of this world is a result of miscommunication. The reason of wars & strife in the world. The lack of the Holy Spirit in us.
17. When we receive the Holy Spirit it helps us to be good communictors & when we speak people through out the world will understand us & there will be peace.
18. In our homes there is strife because spouses do not understand each other, children do not understand their parents & parents misunderstand their children. So even in our homes there is conflict & that extends out.
19. In families where there is lack of clarity of communication there is confusion. It is the reason that Christ promised us the Advocate. The Advocate speaks on our behalf & brings about clarity & people will understand each other & with the understanding there will be unity and with unity there will be peace.
20. We should strive to open our hearts to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
21. If the Holy Spirit dwells in us we will not utter words of hate or anger even in the moments of extreme anger.
22. Let’s always rely on the Holy Spirit to speak on our behalf, but the Advocate will only speak on our behalf if we invite the Holy Spirit to come & take control. Why use 3rd parties & human beings when we have the Holy Spirit given to us as a gift. All we have to do is to open our hearts & ask the Holy Spirit to come & take supremacy in our hearts & take control.

FIRST READING-Acts 2:1–11

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.”

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29–30, 31, 34 (see 30)

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

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.

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.

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.

SECOND READING
Romans 8:8–17

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.

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.

ALLELUIA
John 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
John 14:15–16, 23b–26

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.”

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