Pentecost Sunday, at the Vigil Mass
(Saturday evening), Years ABC
NB: The Vigil Mass has its own prayers and readings. Those for the Mass During the Day on Sunday should not be used – though some priests seem to be unaware of this. It is incorrect to refer to this Vigil Mass as an ‘anticipated Mass’. It is a celebration proper to the evening before Pentecost Sunday and may be celebrated in an extended form. It also fulfils the Sunday obligation.
Readings, (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)
Readings, (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)
Gospel, John 7:37-39 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Mass During the Day, Year C
Readings, (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)
Readings, (New American Bible: Philippines, USA
Gospel, John 14:15-16, 23-26 (English Standard
Version Anglicised: India)
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If you love me, you will keep my
commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Helper, to be with you for ever,
‘If
anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we
will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me
does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the
Father's who sent me.
‘These things I
have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you
all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.’
Or
Gospel, John 20:19-23 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)
On the evening of that day, the
first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples
were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to
them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and
his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am
sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and
said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Here is what Pope Benedict XVI said in his Regina Caeli talk on Pentecost Sunday, 27 May 2007, to the people in St Peter's Square. The emphases are mine.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, in which the liturgy has us relive the birth of the Church, according to what St Luke narrates in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (2: 1-13).
Fifty days after Easter, the Holy Spirit descended on the community of disciples - 'with one accord devoted themselves to prayer'- gathered with 'Mary, the mother of Jesus' and with the Twelve Apostles (cf. Acts 1: 14; 2: 1). We can therefore say that the Church had its solemn beginning with the descent of the Holy Spirit.
In this extraordinary event we find the essential and qualifying characteristics of the Church: the Church is one, like the community at Pentecost, who were united in prayer and 'concordant': 'were of one heart and soul' (Acts 4: 32).
The Church is holy, not by her own merits, but because, animated by the Holy Spirit, she keeps her gaze on Christ, to become conformed to him and to his love.
The Church is catholic, because the Gospel is destined for all peoples, and for this, already at the beginning, the Holy Spirit made her speak all languages.
The Church is apostolic, because, built upon the foundation of the Apostles, she faithfully keeps their teaching through the uninterrupted chain of episcopal succession.
What is more, the Church by her nature is missionary, and from the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit does not cease to move her along the ways of the world to the ends of the earth and to the end of time.
This reality, which we can verify in every epoch, is already anticipated in the Book of Acts, where the Gospel passage from the Hebrews to the pagans, from Jerusalem to Rome, is described. Rome represents the pagan world, and hence, all people who are outside of the ancient People of God. Actually, Acts concludes with the arrival of the Gospel to Rome.
It can be said, then, that Rome is the concrete name of catholicity and missionary spirit, it expresses fidelity to the origins, to the Church of all times, to a Church that speaks all languages and extends herself to all cultures.
Dear brothers and sisters, the first Pentecost took place when Mary Most Holy was present amid the disciples in the Upper Room in Jerusalem and prayed. Today, too, let us entrust ourselves to her maternal intercession, so that the Holy Spirit may descend in abundance upon the Church in our day, fill the hearts of all the faithful and enkindle in them the fire of his love.
+++
Pope Benedict notes: the first Pentecost took place when Mary Most Holy was present amid the disciples in the Upper Room in Jerusalem and prayed. In the three paintings I chose Mary is in the centre. We must never forget that from all eternity God the Father had chosen Mary to be the one to bring the Divine Word, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, into the world as Jesus Christ, God who became Man. John 1: 14 tells us: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. In Luke 1:34-35 Mary asks How will this be, since I am a virgin? and the angel replies, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. Luke 2:51 states: And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them, 'them' being Mary and her husband St Joseph.
The Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed are shared by all Christians. In the former we pray and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man; in the latter we proclaim I believe . . . in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary . . .
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
(Thanks to Rachel Hoover at Crisis Magazine for putting this poem into my mind in the context of Pentecost.)
Ordinary Time resumes on 6 June: Monday in the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time. That day is the Memorial of Mary Mother of the Church, established by Pope Francis in 2018. The special readings are here and here.
Traditional Latin Mass
Pentecost or Whitsunday
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 06-05-2022 if necessary).
Lesson: Acts 2:1-11. Gospel: John 14:23-31.
The Octave of Pentecost runs from the Vigil of Pentecost till the Saturday after Pentecost.
Mysteries of
Faith
1 comment:
Dearest Father Seán,
Wishing you a meaningful Pentecost!
I'm in The Netherlands, finally picking up Mom & Dad's items that were still here and due to Covid no travels.
Just me and my 93–year old husband is by himself those 8 nights.
Hoping to have no trouble on Monday traveling to the airport by train and then getting accepted with my Covid speedtest from Sunday + Attestation form.
What indeed a 'bent World' we are all living in.
May God have mercy on us all!
Hugs,
Mariette
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