Saturday, May 30, 2009
PENTECOST SUNDAY
PENTECOST SUNDAY – B
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."
1 CORINTHIANS 12:3B-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the
Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same
Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there
are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in
everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given
for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many parts, and all
the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For
in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or
Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one
Spirit.
JOHN 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."
REFLECTION
Pentecost is the solemnity of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the
inauguration of the Church. Today's feast reminds us of a gift. This
gift is part of the promise that Jesus told his apostles in the Last
discourse as found in today's Gospel where it was termed as the
Paraclete, the advocate. With this gift comes the task of completing
Jesus' work on earth which brings us the fullness of grace.
What does it mean to complete Jesus' work on earth? Evangelization,
means: to proclaim the Good News of Salvation. This in turn means: to
share the truth and reality of a God of love, mercy, and compassion.
How do we accomplish this? By a life of integrity and a life of
honesty and fidelity. Such honesty is to be manifested in our being
true to who we are and our responsibilities. It's like a father, who
is a good provider and who takes care of his wife and children. Or
perhaps a priest, who is true to his calling, embracing his vows of
poverty, chastity and obedience.
The second component of the gift of the Holy Spirit is bringing the
fullness of grace. Grace is usually associated with the blessings that
we receive from God. But, in its most profound meaning and
understanding, grace means God's selfgiving to us, the presence of God-
self in us. We allow God to truly dwell in us. It speaks of a union of
hearts and minds with God, something that Jesus truly underscored in
today's Gospel in terms of his very intimate relationship with his
Father. Are we capable of reflecting the Father in terms of mercy and
love?
Finally, God's presence inspires us to be people of courage. Many
times, we realize our responsibilities and what we need to do, but
being human, we are afraid of uncertainties and consequences of our
actions. Yet, with God's grace, we are able to muster enough courage
to fulfill our responsibilities.
Today's solemnity of Pentecost is also considered the anniversary of
the birth of our Church. It may be good to ask ourselves about the
situation and condition of our own communities. What have we done to
sustain the growth of our Church? Is there more care and concern for
one another? Can we feel the presence of God in each other? What can
we do on a personal level to make our community a living witness of
the Spirit of Jesus?
May the Holy Spirit give us the grace to forge deeper ties among our
church and our communities so that we may serve as a concrete
manifestation of witnessing to our Risen Lord.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
… for the healing and speedy recovery of:
- Lucy Chin
- Lisa
… for the safety of Johnson Cuiting
… for the special intentions:
- San Juan de Dios Hospital
- DLSUMC and Magcamits
… for the good health and peace of the family of Richard V. Condor,
MD
… for the physical and spiritual well-being of all prisoners and
inmates
… for the eternal repose of the soul of Eligia Fernando. Eternal rest
grant unto her and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she and all
the dearly departed rest in peace.
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Christine C. Jao
- Birthday: Juan Carlos Rosca
- Birthday: Fer Capati
- Thanksgiving: Dennis, Wendy, Gabe, Aleks, Iñigo
- Wedding Anniversary: Eugene & Evelyn Huang
… for the healing and peace of all families
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers
and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To subscribe email: dailyhomily@gmail.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to:
daily_homily-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
© 2009 Daily-Homily
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
