Pentecost Sunday Mass during the Day (June 4, 2017): Renewal in our lives, the Church and the world

Mass during the Day:
Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
John 20:19-23
usccb.org/bible/readings/060417-day-mass.cfm

USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/17_06_04.mp3

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John.

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.”

Good News Reflection:

“Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.” This is our prayer in the responsorial Psalm for Pentecost. It’s the reason the Church can exist and continues to exist. We live in the age of the Holy Spirit.

Without the power and presence of the Spirit of Christ, Christianity would have been unable to change the world and sustain itself during two millennia of persecutions, scandals, and obstacles.

Without the Spirit of Christ, we Christians would be unable to be Christ in today’s world. We’d be unable to do what the Father asks of us.

Pentecost Sunday re-lives the birthday of the Church, and as it does, it also re-lives our spiritual birthdays, i.e., our initiations as members of the Church. It’s a community-wide celebration of the impact that our baptisms have had on our lives and it’s a reaffirmation of the Sacrament of Confirmation when the bishop confirmed that we truly received the Holy Spirit during baptism.

Pentecost reminds us that through these sacraments we received God’s power and presence so that we can overcome sin, live in holiness, and change the world around us.

How does God “renew the face of the earth”? Through us! First, God the Father gave his Holy Spirit to Jesus the Son so that he could successfully fulfill his mission on earth. Jesus then gave his Holy Spirit to us, so that we can grow in holiness and to continue the work of renewal that he began.

If you feel inadequate for any holy task, you’re correct: You are inadequate. But the Spirit of God who dwells in you is more than adequate. Proceed forward trusting in this partnership!

Questions for Personal Reflection:
Are you making a difference on the earth because of the Holy Spirit living in you and working through you? What is the Holy Spirit doing — or wanting to do — through you? Answer this first regarding your home life, then your job, then your parish, then your recreational activities, in that order of priority.

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
How did you first discover that the Holy Spirit was making a difference in the lives of others through you? Describe a recent time when God partnered with you. How do you feel about the Spirit of God renewing the world through you? What are your hopes and dreams for this?

Today’s Prayer:

Beloved Holy Spirit, You want to dwell fully in me. I give You my unconditional “yes” so that You may work according to the wonderful plans that the Father has for me. Amen.