Sunday Sermon - 5.28.23
PENTECOST
LATIN MASS READINGS: PENTECOST
LESSON: Acts 2:1 And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: 2 And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with diverse tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. 5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under Heaven. 6 And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. 7 And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying: Behold, are not all these, that speak, Galileans? 8 And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, 11 Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
God Himself, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, is willing to come down from His heavenly throne to come into communion with mankind and make His home within our souls through the sacrament of Baptism.
Always remember that you, through your Baptism, are a Temple of the Holy Ghost. Always strive to keep your Temple, your body and soul, clean from the stain of all sin and make your entire being a worthy throne for Him. If your soul and body are not clean right now, go to Confession now.
GOSPEL: John 14:23 Jesus answered, and said to him: If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him. 24 He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words. And the word which you have heard, is not Mine; but the Father's who sent Me. 25 These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. 26 But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. 28 You have heard that I said to you: I go away, and I come unto you. If you loved Me, you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it comes to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world cometh, and in Me he hath not any thing. 31 But that the world may know, that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given Me commandment, so do I: Arise, let us go hence.
If you wish to love God, you must keep His words. It’s not optional. You cannot claim to believe in Jesus while you disobey Him. You cannot claim to love Jesus while you disobey Him. Through the Holy Ghost, Christ makes communion with Him possible. So accept this gift from God and obey Him.
Remember that you are consecrated to God by your Baptism and Confirmation.
NOVUS ORDO: PENTECOST
READING 1: Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from Heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under Heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”
All of mankind is invited to be with God. All mankind is given the opportunity to join the New Covenant and become part of the Body of Christ. Do not take this enormous gift for granted.
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are worked by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Obey the Holy Ghost and frequent the sacraments often. Keep your body and soul free from sin, and He will guide you into using the holy gifts given to you through the sacrament of Confirmation. Remember the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of God.
GOSPEL: John 20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then 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 When He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Christ grants us His peace, so that we may know Him and know actual peace. Even through our trials and persecutions, even when we are carrying our crosses, we can have His peace. The peace of Christ is not happiness, but the joy of God. Happiness is fleeting but the joy of God is eternal. Receive the Holy Ghost today by going to your priest and receiving the sacrament of Confession.
SEQUENCE: Come Holy Spirit!
Holy Spirit, come and shine / On our souls with beams divine / Issuing from your radiance bright. / Come, O Father of the poor, / Ever bounteous of your store, / Come, our heart's unfailing light.
Come, Consoler, kindest, best, / Come our bosom's dearest guest, / Sweet refreshment, sweet repose. / Rest in labor, coolness sweet, / Tempering the burning heat, / Truest comfort of our woes.
O divinest light, impart / Unto every faithful heart / Plenteous streams from love's bright flood. / But for your blest Deity, / Nothing pure in man could be; / Nothing harmless, nothing good.
Wash away each sinful stain; / Gently shed your gracious rain / On the dry and fruitless soul. / Heal each wound and bend each will, / Warm our hearts benumbed and chill, / All our wayward steps control.
Unto all your faithful just, / Who in you confide and trust, / Deign the sevenfold gift to send. / Grant us virtue's blest increase, / Grant a death of hope and peace, / Grant the joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia!