＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Acts 2:1-11

 When the day of Pentecost came, '

They were all together in one place. And suddenly out of the sky came a sound like a strong rushing wind andit filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared tongues as if of fire which parted and came to rest upon each one of them. All were filled with Holy Spirit and began to speak other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

 Staying in Jerusalem were religious Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered, all excited because each heard them speaking in his own language. Full of amaze­ment and wonder, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Gali­leans? How is it that we hear them in our own native language?

 Here are Parthians, Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopo­tamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phry­gia, Pam­phylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cy­rene, and visitors from Rome,  both Jews and foreigners who accept Jewish beliefs, Cretians and Arabians; and all of us hear them proclaiming in our own language what God, the Savior, does.

 

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

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

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 (or Galatians 5:16-25)

 I tell you that nobody inspired by the Spirit of God may say, “A curse on Jesus,” as no one can say, “Jesus is the Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.  There is diversity of gifts, but the Spirit is the same.   There is diversity of ministries, but the Lord is the same.   There is diversity of works, but the same God works in all.

The Spirit reveals his presence in each one with a gift that is also a service.  As the body is one, having many members, and all the members, while being many, form one body, so it is with Christ.  All of us, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, have been baptized in one Spirit to form one body and all of us have been given to drink from the one Spirit.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

John 20:19-23  (or John 15:26-27; 16:12-15)

On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews, but Jesus came and stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace be with you”;   then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and were full of joy.

 Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”   After saying this he breathed on them and said to them, “Re­ceive the Holy Spirit;  for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

     

Gospel Reflection：

Read: Jesus promised to send the Spirit after He departs. The Spirit will witness to His truth and lead the disciples to the truth. This is because the Spirit will speak only about Jesus' truth. The Spirit will take from Jesus and make it known to Jesus disciples in turn. 

Reflect: Jesus in going back to the Father will not leave behind as orphans those He loves. They will not be alone. A helper will be sent to be the abiding presence of Jesus and the Father in the hearts of all who believe Him. Thus, the Spirit is a comforting presence.

It will not invent new teachings but will only remind us of what Jesus taught before. It is, therefore, a Spirit of continuity. It's a wonder therefore that some people invoke the authority of the Spirit to spew new and strange teachings. The Spirit of Jesus does not divide the believers. The spirit of the evil one brings anarchy. Therefore the true mark of the genuine Spirit of Jesus is the continuity of His teachings. The spirit also unites believers into one community who listen and follow Jesus' teaching. 

Respond: When was the last time you prayed to the Holy Spirit? For the Holy Spirit is the most neglected person of the Holy Trinity. Perhaps it is high time to start a conversation with the Spirit of truth so that we will not stray far from the truth of God.