| Saturday, May 23rd, 2015, 7:00 AM |
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Maranatha, Maranatha,
Come, Oh Lord.
And set us free!
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In Deo Speramus
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(In God We Hope) |
Pentecost
El Greco, c. 1596
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| There came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind.
... Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
... which came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
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We have celebrated fifty days since your resurrection. Give us strength to continue to implement our Synod initiatives. "Lord, send out your Sprit, and renew the face of the earth..
We pray to the Lord.
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| 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.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1.
- Minutes before, the disciples were insignificant people cowering behind locked doors. Suddenly they were filled with power. They spoke with great courage and freedom
and in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. ... Devout Jews from every nation ... gathered in a large crowd, but were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded ....
Using this quotation from Acts explain the birth of the Church. How did the Church "astound" the crowd on the first Pentecost? How does it "astound" now?
2. Did the Holy Spirit come only once in history, to the apostles and Mary in the upper room? Or do you see the Holy Spirit as dynamic and constant in every life? How were the disciples different after the Spirit's arrival? Are you different when you are confident that the Spirit is with you? Explain.
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| Second Reading 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.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1. "How can I overcome sin in my Christian life?"
2. Generally speaking, people usually think they are good. Do you think most people are good? Why or why not?
3. What is one good thing that happened to you or someone you know this past week?
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| Alleluia JN 14:23 Alleluia, alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia, 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." The Gospel of the Lord |
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Discussion Questions:
1.
Jesus "breathed" on them. How does this relate to
Genesis 2:7, "God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life?" What is the significance for you? How important is the Holy Spirit to you?
2. In his homily at Mass for the Feast of Pentecost with New Movements Pope Francis asks us the following questions:
Are we open to 'God's surprises'? Or are we closed and fearful before the newness of the Holy Spirit? Do we have the courage to strike out along the new paths which God's newness sets before us, or do we resist, barricaded in transient structures which have lost their capacity for openness to what is new?
Pope Francis at Pentecost:
Newness, Harmony and Mission,
May 19, 2013, Vatican Radio
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Oremus pro invicem
(Let us pray for one another)
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And when he has said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Fear
locked the door
just as it loves to do.
But real love came in anyway,
bringing God's peace within its wounds.
Peace and joy went all around: joy and peace!
He breathed upon them and sent them
everywhere, to all corners,
to speak his Word
of love, not
fear Jesus,
we too cry out
Veni Sanctae Spiritus. Send your Holy Spirit
of life and love
to us and
hurl
us
out
to all
corners
of creation.
Amen
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| For what are we born if not to aid one another? Ernest Hemingway "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then we'll have peace." By: Jimi Hendrix "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." Abraham Lincoln If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.
1 John 4:12
Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus God became human so that humans might become God (Catholicism, Page 2 by Fr. Robert Barron) "The Glory of God is a human being fully alive." Meyers, Robin R. (2009-02-19). Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus (Kindle Location 639). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
God "dwells in us."
God's love is not meant for us alone;
we must give it away.
Do small things today and for many tomorrows,
with a generous heart.
Give God Away Today!
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Help us then, Lord,
to be so united with the paschal mystery of Jesus,
that through Him the world can become a better place to dwell.
You promise us much for this life
and for our eternal presence with You;
may we live into that promise
each day.
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An interesting thought:
The birth of St. John is celebrated on June 24th, in the moment of the summer solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to reduce. On the other hand, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on December 25th, during the winter solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to grow, to get longer.
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