Sunday Gospel Reading - May 27, 2012 with Reflection

PENTECOST SUNDAY

1ST READING - Acts 2:1-11 P S A L M 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) 31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord be glad in his works! 34Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord. (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) 2nd READING - 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. John 20:19-23 (or John 15:26-27; 16:12-15) 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.” A TRUE FRIEND SHARES HIS FRIEND For one last time, let us greet one another: “A Happy and Blessed Easter!” Today marks the end of our seven-week prolonged celebration of the joyous feast of the Lord Jesus’ rising from the dead. Jesus, since His resurrection, had been appearing to the disciples with the greeting: “Peace be with you.” He wanted to assure them that though living now on a different level and with His earthly ministry coming to an end, He will continue to be with them in a more perfect manner. Conquering death, the Risen Lord has overcome the barriers of space and time. He appears and reappears at will — wherever, whenever. During the Last Supper, Jesus also revealed that He will be present in the lives of His disciples and in the lives of all who believe in Him, through the ministry of another Paraclete (meaning: “Consoler”) whom He will send from the Father in His name. This Heavenly Consoler, in fact, has accompanied Jesus and had been in Jesus throughout His public life. On the Cross, Jesus breathed out and released this Spirit. Now, He sends this Heavenly Consoler to each of the remaining disciples. Who is this Holy Spirit? He is the Third Person of the Godhead. He is not simply a dove, or a personification of the elements of fire, wind, water, etc. These are symbols we have used to illustrate His power and operations among us. But He is a Divine Person, like the Father and the Son. While the First Person of the Trinity is Father, and while the Second Person of the Trinity is Son, the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Trinity is “Paraclete- Consoler-Comforter-Advocate.” He is therefore a Heavenly Friend. Sending and sharing the Holy Spirit, the Heavenly Friend, to us, Jesus shows us that He is a genuine friend. He does not keep good things — even a good friend — for Himself alone. Like the Father who says, “Son, all that I have is yours” (cf Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15), Jesus does the same thing. Pentecost then is a guarantee, a seal, of Jesus’ eternal friendship with us. He will never leave us orphans. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP REFLECTION QUESTION: Pray deeply and ask Jesus to let you experience the presence and consolation of the Holy Spirit as a Heavenly Friend. Resolve to talk and be in touch with the Holy Spirit daily, as you do with your best of human friends. Holy Spirit, come and be my best friend. Lead me closer to the Father and the Son. St. Augustine of Canterbury, bishop, pray for us. Do you want to receive this in your email?  To get Bo Sanchez to send it to you personally, log-on to http://kerygmafamily.com. Lots of surprises await.