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Lectionary Readings for Solemnity of Pentecost

“Receive the Holy Spirit…”

The readings for Pentecost Sunday is the same for all the
three liturgical cycles of the Church.  It is taken from
the Acts of the Apostles, the first letter of Paul to the
Corinthians, and the gospel of John.  It is in the Acts of
the Apostles where we have the account and description of
the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the apostles.
The coming of the Holy Spirit is depicted as a “strong,
driving wind which was heard all through the house”.  And
His presence in each and all of the apostles was that of
“tongues of fire which parted and came to rest on each of
them”.  The effect of the Holy Spirit upon them gave them
gifts of speech - so amazing, that people who assembled
outside their house, heard them speaking in each of their
own native tongues, and wondered how that could be since
they were only fishermen, unlettered, and only Galileans.
But each of the apostles spoke greatly about the marvels
that God has accomplished in Jesus of Nazareth.

In the gospel, the passage is taken from the gospel of
John and depicts a resurrection account.  In this account,
Jesus appears again before the apostles and greets them
with “Peace”.  He then commissions them as the Father has
commissioned Him to preach the kingdom of God.  Being filled
so much with the Holy Spirit as He had been resurrected from
death by the power of the Spirit, He breathed this same
Spirit on the apostles - giving them power to forgive sins.
It will be only when the Holy Spirit Himself descends upon
them that they will have the power to go forth and preach
what Jesus had taught them “in Jerusalem, in Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”.

The event depicting the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
apostles is called Pentecost.  Just as the Holy Spirit had
the power to conceive Jesus in the womb of Mary, so did
He conceive and bring forth into the world the Church.
Pentecost is thus the birth of the Church.  The life of
the Church flows from the life of Jesus, who sends the
Holy Spirit to the Church for the gift, task and
responsibility of bringing the good news to all people.
The gift of the Holy Spirit which the apostles received
at Pentecost is handed down to us at our baptism and
confirmation.  After being purified of our sinfulness, we
are then commissioned to be a Christian presence in the
world - sanctifying the secular spheres in which we act
and move.  We continue to receive the strength and power
we need to do our Christian duties and obligations through
frequenting the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist.  By
our membership and active participation in the life of
the Church, we continue the work of Christ in the world:
to shepherd people to God, teach them about the Gospel,
and help in their spiritual and moral healing.