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.
See also:
Mass Readings
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.Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R Alleluia.
O LORD, my God, You are great indeed!
How manifold are Your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of Your creatures. R.
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.
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 – Rom 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.
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.”
Featured Saints
Sunday has precedence over the Commemoration of Our Lady Help of Cristians, instituted by Pope St. Pius V in thanksgiving for the miraculous victory of the Christian fleet in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
Blessed Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, bishop (†1901). Optional Memorial in Canada. He promoted clerical formation and enkindled religious fervour in the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. He founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Institute of the Sisters of St. Martha.
Blessed John of Prado, priest and martyr (†1631). Spanish Franciscan sent to North Africa to spiritually minister to enslaved Christians. Taken prisoner, he vigorously confessed the Faith before the tyrant Mulay alWalid and was condemned to death by fire.
St. Vincent of Lérins, priest and monk (†circa 450). Famous for his holiness of life and knowledge of Sacred Scripture, he wrote the Commonitory, which St. Robert Bellarmine described as “a golden book.”
St. Simeon Stylites the Younger, priest and anchorite (†592). For 45 years he lived on a column on Mount Admirable, Syria. He wrote several treatises on the ascetic life.
St. Augustine Yi Kwang-hon and companions, martyrs (†1839). Lay Catholics tortured and beheaded during the anti-Christian persecution in Korea.
St. Manaen. Formerly a member of the court of Herod Antipas. He is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, together with St. Lucius of Cyrene, among the prophets and teachers of Antioch, the place of his death.
Sts. Donatian and Rogatian, martyrs (†circa 304). Young brothers from Nantes, France who were tortured and beheaded for holding fast to the Faith.
Blessed Joanna. Wife of Cuza, procurator of Herod, one of the Holy Women who followed Jesus and provided Him with material assistance.
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