Pentecost Sunday - A

Red, sequence, Roman canon insert, dismissal: alleluia, alleluia


Themes:

Acts: Pentecost

1 Corinthians: one Spirit; many gifts

John: Easter: the gift of the Holy Spirit


Acts 2:1-11 : Jerusalem 50 Days after the Resurrection, 10 days after the Ascension.

Wind and parted fire and universal understanding

Whey hen the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, 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.

Their astonishment

"Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?  Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?”

 


1 Corinthians 12:3b-7,12-13 - All spiritual gifts come from the one Holy Spirit and given for a specific purpose; as members are to the body, so these are to the Church.

Source of our Faith: the holy Spirit

No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

Effect of the Holy Spirit: Different gifts

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.

Why these gifts

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

Illustration of the Body

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.


 


The Pentecost Sequence Hymn

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.


John 20:19-23: - Jesus appears on Easter Sunday

The First Coming of The Holy Spirit; The Power To Forgive Sins Given to the Church

“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." […] "Peace be with you.   As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

He breathed on them and said:

"Receive the Holy Spirit. 

Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."


Questions:

Acts: What is Pentecost?  How was the Holy Spirit manifested?  What is symbolic about wind and fire?  What might be symbolized in “parted” flames of fire.  What was odd about the preaching of the Apostles?  How could Pentecost be called the birthday of the Church?  Is this the same as saying it was the beginning of the Church?  Where were the countries of: the Parthians?  the Mede?  the Elamites?  the Mesopotamians?  the Judeans?  the Cappadocians?  the Ponti?  the Asians?  the Phrygians?  the Pamphylians?  the Egyptians?  The Libyans near Cyrene?  the Romans?  the Cretans?  the Arabs?   What is a “mighty act”?  Why might Pentecost be appropriate for an appeal for Catholic Communications?

1 Corinthians: What does Saint Paul say is needed to have faith in Jesus?  What does he mean by “Lord”?  What is the common denominator of all the true spiritual gifts?  What does Saint Paul say about the Holy Spirit and the Church?  Why are spiritual gifts given?  Why was it important the Corinthians understand the role of the Holy Spirit as a unifier?  What is the “Mystical Body” teaching of Pope Pius XII, and as found in the Catechism?  Who were the Jews and Greeks that Saint Paul referred to?  What did Saint Paul say about slaves?  If the Holy Spirit is, as it were, the soul of the Catholic Church, what does this imply and explain?

John: What did Jesus say about the Holy Spirit when He appeared the Apostles on Easter?  Why did He breath upon them?  What power did He give them?  What was the promise of the Holy Spirit previously given to Peter?

Petitions:

Acts: That the Gospel of Christ be heard and understood by all nations in the world, we pray to the Lord.

1 Corinthians: That Christians be joined in true unity through the Holy Spirit, we pray to the Lord.

John: That Catholics appreciate the power of bishops and priest to forgive sin, we pray to the Lord.


PREFACE

The Official English approximation

The Official Latin

“Tu enim, sacramentum Paschale consummams, quibus, per Unigeniti Tui consortium, filios adoptionis esse tribuisti, hodie Spiritum Sanctum es largitus, Qui principio nascenti Ecclesiae, et cunctis gentibus scientiam indidit deitatis, et linguarum diversitatem in unius fidei confessione sociavit.”

“Today You sent the Holy Spirit on those marked out to be Your children, by sharing the life of Your Son, and so You brought the Pascal Mystery to its completion.

Today we celebrate the great beginning of Your Church, when the Holy Spirit made known to all peoples the One True God.”


ROMAN CANON INSERT

The Official Latin

“Communicantes et diem sacratissimum Pentecostes celebrantes, quo spiritus Sanctus Apostolis in igneis linguis apparuit, “

The Official English approximation

“In union with the whole Church, we celebrate the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit appeared to the Apostles, in the form of countless tongues.”