I heard warning gunshots and shouts from familiar voices, then cars that sped off. The car of my sister-in-law, who lives beside us, was carnapped right in front of our compound. Thank God, their family’s lives were spared.

I thought this kind of scene happens only in the movies, but this incident traumatized me. Every time we entered our village, I looked at the side mirror and made sure that no car was following us. When we got to our street, I looked into the other cars parked to assure myself there were no waiting carnappers or assailants. And when I got down from our car and opened the gate, I felt nervous and scared until we finally got inside the house.

That trauma lasted for almost six months. But I prayed unceasingly. I implored the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen me. And God’s peace beyond human understanding filled me. God’s love healed me. 

Sol Saura (sol_saura@yahoo.com)

reflect

“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.” (St. Teresa of Avila)

Lord, when my heart is troubled, let me see how big and powerful You are. Fill me with Your peace. Amen.

Saint Joanna, pray for us.

First Reading | Acts 2:1-11

The coming of the Holy Spirit is truly a watershed moment in the life of the Church, and so begins the promise of empowering all men and women to live and proclaim the Gospel. Before, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit was seen to be reserved for the leaders of God’s people—the prophets, judges, kings, and others. Under the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is given to all.

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 as 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 own 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.”

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

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) 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) 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) 

Second Reading | 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13

³ Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴ There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;  ⁵ there are different forms of service but the same Lord; ⁶ there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. ⁷ To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. ¹² As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. ¹³ For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. 

Gospel | John 20:19-23

In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus commissions His disciples when He ascends into heaven. In John’s Gospel, this happens during the resurrection appearances. Even though the order of events vary, what matters is that we are commissioned to take the Gospels to the ends of the earth.

Gospel Acclamation

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

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 SAMUEL  13 - 16 today.

Have You Upgraded (Your Life) to 3D Yet?

I remember watching the film The Avengers in 3D. The characters and the scenes literally came alive and jumped out of the screen. In between scenes, I occasionally took off the 3D glass and looked at the screen. The screen was blurred and dead as a log. Isn’t it amazing how something so “insignificant” as a thin screen in a glass frame can bring something to life?

Today in our Gospel, we witness the Apostles “dead” as a log. They locked themselves in a room—dejected, frustrated, and fearful after the death of Jesus on the cross. They mourned His death. But then, the Risen Jesus appeared to them and breathed the Spirit on them. Suddenly, vivified by the unseen and “insignificant” Spirit, they came to life and burst out of the room, proclaiming the Jesus story.

This is the gift of Pentecost, the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon the Church as promised by Jesus (see the First Reading). When the Spirit comes, something good becomes even better, and something great becomes even greater. The Spirit is given to us as a Friend, and so we need not fear being enveloped by it. In the Holy Spirit, we will not be deformed—we will be transformed and elevated into a richer kind of existence. 

We already have the Spirit when we were baptized. The Spirit is the first and precious gift of being a Christian. But as a muscle atrophies and weakens when not used, so can we deaden the Spirit when we put no mind to our spiritual life. Put away anything and everything that is ungodly in your life and, in its place, invite the Spirit as a welcome guest. You will surely see life jump out of the screen and grab you with excitement, fulfillment, and happiness. 

Fr. Joel O. Jason 

reflection question

Is your life flat and unexciting? Try upgrading it to 3D by opening yourself to the action of the Holy Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________________