Solemnity of Pentecost
Pentecost Sunday. Celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles, gathered in prayer in the Cenacle, in fulfillment of the promise of Christ.
Commentary on the Sequence, by Msgr. João Scognamligio Clá Dias, EP.
Readings for the Vigil Mass
Readings for Pentecost Sunday – Mass During the Day
Featured Saints
St. Desiderius, Bishop and martyr (†c. 355). On behalf of his flock in Langres, France, oppressed by Vandals, he solicited the aid of the king, who became outraged and ordered him to be beheaded.
St. Michael of Synnada, bishop (†826). Archbishop of Synnada (in modernTurkey), he fostered peace between Greeks and Latins, and died in exile for defending the cult of sacred images.
St. John Baptist de Rossi, priest (†1764). Exercised his ministry in Rome, dedicating his time and resources to the poor and prisoners.
St. Eutychius, abbot (†circa 487). Elected prior of the Monastery of Nursia, he sought to rekindle the monks’ contemplative fervour and faithfulness to the rule.
St. Honoratus of Subiaco, abbot (†sixth century). He was superior of the community founded by St. Benedict, in Subiaco, Italy.
St. Guibert, monk (†962). Abandoning his military career, he built a monastery on lands that he owned in Gembloux, Belgium, and withdrew to the Monastery of Gorze, France.
Blesseds Joseph Kurzawa and Vincent Matuszewski, priests and martyrs (†1940). Killed for their Faith in the city of Witowo, during the Nazi occupation of Poland.
Readings for the Vigil of Pentecost
First Reading – Gn 11:1-9
The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words. While the people were migrating in the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, “Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.” They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.” The LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built. Then the LORD said: “If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us then go down there and confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says.” Thus the LORD scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the speech of all the world. It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 104:1-2, 24, 35, 27-28, 29, 30 (R.cf.30)
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, You are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all
the earth is full of your creatures;
bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
Creatures all look to You
to give them food in due time.
When You give it to them, they gather it;
when You open your hand, they are filled with good things.
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. R.
Second Reading –Rom 8:22-27
Brothers and sisters: We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because He intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.
Gospel – Jn 7:37-39
On the last and greatest day of the feast,
Jesus stood up and exclaimed,
“Let anyone who thirsts come to Me and drink.
As Scripture says:
Rivers of living water will flow from within him who believes in Me.”
He said this in reference to the Spirit
that those who came to believe in Him were to receive.
There was, of course, no Spirit yet,
because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Readings for Penecost Sunday
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 – Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 (R.cf.30)R. (cf. 30)
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
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.
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. R.
Second Reading – 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 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. 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.
OR:
Gal 5:16-25
Brothers and sisters, live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, lust, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
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.
Gospel – Jn 20:19-23
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.”
When He had said this, He showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.”
And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
OR:
Jn 15:26-27; 16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father,
He will testify to Me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with Me from the beginning.
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when He comes, the Spirit of truth,
He will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but He will speak what He hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify Me,
because He will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that He will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”
