Sunday, May 27, 2010 Pentecost Sunday (Solemnity)

REFLECTION FOR TODAYPrayer is to our soul what rain is to the soil. Fertilize the soil ever so richly, it will remain barren unless fed by frequent rains.
-- St John Vianney

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading:  Acts 2:1-11
The Coming of the Holy Spirit 1 When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place.
2 Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a
strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there.
4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious people who had come from every country in the world.
6 When they heard this noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because all of them heard the believers talking in their own languages.
7 In amazement and wonder they exclaimed, “These people who are talking like this are Galileans!
8 How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages?
9 We are from Parthia, Media, and Elam; from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia,
10 from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome,
11 both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, and some of us are from Crete and Arabia—yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things that God has done!”
Psalm:  Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 341 O Lord, my God, how great you are! You are clothed with majesty and glory;
24 Lord, you have made so many things! How wisely you made them all! The earth is filled with your creatures.
29 When you turn away, they are afraid; when you take away your breath, they die and go back to the dust from which they came.
30 But when you give them breath,   they are created; you give new life to the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord last forever! May the Lord be happy with what he has made!
34 May he be pleased with my song, for my gladness comes from him.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 or  Galatians 5:16-251 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
3 I want you to know that no one who is led by God's Spirit can say “A curse on Jesus!” and no one can confess “Jesus is Lord,” without being guided by the Holy Spirit.
4  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.
5 There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served.
6 There are
different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service.
7 The Spirit's presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.
 One Body with Many Parts 12  Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts.
13 In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.
OR
Galatians 5:16-25
The Spirit and Human Nature 16 What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. 
17 For what our human nature wants is opposed
to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do.
18 If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law.
19 What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions;
20 in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups;
21 they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires.
25 The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives.
Gospel: John 20:19-23 or  John 15:26-27;  John 16:12-15; John 20:19-23
Jesus Appears to His Disciples (Promises to Send a Helper)
(Matthew 28.16-20; Mark 16.14-18; Luke 24.36-49) 19 It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.
20 After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.”
22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 
23 If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
OR
John 15:26-2726 “The Helper will come—the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me.
27 And you, too, will speak about me, because you have been with me from the very beginning.
OR
John 16:12-1512 “I have much more to tell you, but now it would be too much for you to bear. 
13 When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he
will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come.
14 He will give me glory, because he will take what I say and tell it to you.
15 All that my Father has is mine; that is why I said that the Spirit will take what I give him and tell it to you.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 {Saint Isidore the Farmer (Optional Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Unless you strive after virtues and practice them, you will never grow to be more than dwarfs.
-- St. Theresa of Avila

READINGS FOR TODAY
Tuesday, May 15, 2012 {Saint Isidore the Farmer (Optional Memorial)}
First Reading: Acts 16:22-34
22 And the crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas.
Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be whipped.
23 After a severe beating, they were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to lock them up tight.
24 Upon receiving this order, the jailer threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet between heavy blocks of wood.