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A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2: 1-11
The Bible, especially the New Testament, should never be read in the past sense. It is God's word to you and me now! Jesus is alive. His spirit is with every Christian. This is the meaning of the Christ event, meaningfully celebrated at Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, three aspects of the one mystery.
Luke follows the early Christian custom of celebrating the communication of the Spirit at the conclusion of the "great fifty days,' our Pentecost. Hence, he relates the outpouring of the Spirit as we have it in the First Reading. John puts the communication of the Spirit on Easter day (Gospel). The gift of the Spirit is one with the risen Lord Jesus. Notice that both traditions stress that the Christian message is not just for the Jews but for all people.
The Responsorial Psalm is that that we put our trust in Jesus because of his love and kindness and that he has done great things for us, so we should be filled with joy and love for him and to be like him.
in your self-giving. He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord hears the cry of the poor!
A Reading, From the Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
1 Cor. 12:3b-7, 12-13
Paul is concerned about his congregation in Corinth. In it, a charismatic group has originated, and glossolalia (speaking in tongues) is practiced. Its effect on the congregation has not been good. Those who have failed to participate are looked upon as second-class Christians and divisiveness has ensued. Paul does not condemn the movement. He sees it in the Spirit at work. But on the other hand, he stresses that the outpouring of the Spirit must build up the community (the body of Christ), not tear it apart.
To have the Spirit means, first of all, to confess: "Jesus is Lord." This is done in various ways, not just by speaking in tongues. Each gift, even the least spectacular one, must be used for the common good! This could be a reminder to contemporary movements and counter-movements in the Church.
In the Gospel of John
Jn. 20:19-23
Sometimes this reading is called "the Pentecost according to John." The theological background has been explained above. Notice that Jesus uses the symbolism of "breathing" when he communicates his Spirit to the disciples. Breath was the sign of life for the ancient Hebrews, and we ourselves still practice mouth to mouth resuscitation in a case of emergency.
This symbolism of "breathing" reminds us also of the first verse of the Bible, where the 'Ruah Yahweh" (breath-spirit of the Creator-God) is mentioned as the life-giving and animating principle of all creation. Jesus was a Jew and as such deeply steeped in Hebrew literature and culture.
Newsy Notes
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Deacon Bob Brazier, CRE
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REMEMBER
Confirmation
Congratulations to our 8th Grade class! It was an awesome Confirmation Ceremony at the Cathedral and to be part of it! I am very proud of all of you!
Congratulations on your Graduation to the 9th Grade.
1st Communion
Congratulations to our 2nd grade students on their 1st Eucharistic Communion that they received. It was a very beautiful Mass, and the boys were very handsome, and the girls were very beautiful in their dresses. Once again Congratulations to our 2nd graders!
Address future PSR and Sacramental Preparation Questions to:
Deacon Bob Brazier at bbrazier@sttm.org
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