HELP IN MORE WAYS

To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. – 1 Corinthians 12:7

Rina is the cleaner in our office. We chat from time to time in between doing our work—while I take care of activities for dementia patients and while Rina cleans the area.

I admire her dedication to her job. She occasionally tells me, “Let me know if there are things you see that I need to clean up, OK?” Or she will say, “Thank you for pointing out that I needed to take care of that area.”

Despite her heavy workload, she is never too busy to help out a resident who is confused or just to be pleasant to one of them in the hallways or their room. Many a family have thanked her for helping lift up the spirit of their relative. My job is also made lighter because of her assistance.

Rina is a good reminder of how we can help each other in our different roles. As long as we see the value of our particular function and do them well, we contribute to the bigger Body of Christ. Joyce Roa (jsosoban@gmail.com)

Reflect: Do you lighten other people’s burden with the quality of your work? 

Dear Lord, enable me to perform my role in Your Body with love and excellence so I can be of help to others.

St. Ephrem, deacon and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

The Holy Spirit enables the Church to penetrate all cultures and all peoples. Without the grace of the Holy Spirit, we will be too focused on what is within, rather than expand our vision for the Gospel. It is to be lived and shared. Evangelization becomes second nature to us if we live the Gospel faithfully.

Acts 2:1-11

1 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. 2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. 3 Then there appeared to them tongues of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. 6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, 11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

Psalm 104:1, 24, 31, 34, 29-30

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

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, you are great indeed! 24 How manifold are your works, O Lord! The earth is full of your creatures. (R) 31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord be glad in his works! 34 Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord. (R) 29 If you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (R)

2nd READING 

The Holy Spirit renews all of Creation. This truth gives us a better appreciation of the Gospel’s relevance. The scope of the Church’s mission will constantly challenge us. And it is only with the help of the Spirit that we can embrace and accomplish it. 

Romans 8:8-17 (or 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13)

8 Brothers and sisters: those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 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. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 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. 12 Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are son of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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.

GOSPEL

Is fear your reason for keeping God’s commandments? Then you need to read today’s Gospel carefully. Jesus tells us that it is love that inspires us to follow the commandments. It is love that makes all the difference in life. Without love, we are powerless in the face of our responsibilities. With love, we can embrace any difficulty with confidence because we know that God will see us through to the end.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

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

John 14:15-16, 23-26 (or John 20:19-23)

15 Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. 23 “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. 24 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. 25 “I have told you this while I am with you. 26 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.”

think: What is your motivation for following the commandments—fear or love?

______________________________   

Read the Bible in one year - 1 Kings 6-8   

 

A NEW PENTECOST

Happy birthday, Church! Fifty days after the celebration of the Easter Vigil, we are now celebrating Jesus’ greatest gift to us—the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to live fully as a faithful Christian. In the life of the Church, we celebrate the event that empowered the Apostles fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection.

The story of the Pentecost is given to us annually from Acts 2:1-11, according to Luke the Evangelist. He describes it as a spectacular event in his wonderful, artistic style of storytelling. All the Apostles are in the Upper Room, the same place where Jesus had His Last Supper. They are praying for the promise of the Father. All of them are filled with the Holy Spirit. Light, wind, and noise fill the room—a wonderful event beyond all telling.

The famous prayer of St. John XXIII at the opening of the Council remains the same for us today: “Renew Your wonders in this our day, as by a new Pentecost.” Similarly, years later, we hear a testimony of a young student asking for the grace of Pentecost. In her own words, Patti Gallagher Mansfield says, “Lord, I believe I’ve already received Your Spirit in baptism and confirmation. But if it’s possible for Your Spirit to be more at work in my life than He’s been up until now, I want it.” She continues, “Like the Apostles after Pentecost, we couldn’t help but speak of the things we had seen and heard. We literally stumbled into Charismatic gifts like prophecy, discernment of spirits, and healing. One of our professors witnessed to his friends at Notre Dame and Michigan State University in these words: ‘I no longer have to believe in Pentecost; I have seen it!’”

Let us once again pray with inspiration the prayer of St. John XXIII. Let us have the same inspiration of Patti Gallagher Mansfield that we, too, will receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL

------- REFLECTION QUESTION -------

How can you be open to the New Pentecost in your life?

 

Light immortal, Light divine, visit Thou these hearts of thine and our inmost being fill. Amen. (Taken from Sequence of Pentecost).

Today, I pray for: _______________________________