Daily Reflection – Jun 4, 2017
Sunday 4 June 2017
First Reading: Acts 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm:
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13
Gospel Reading: John 20:19-23
Today’s Feast: Pentecost Sunday
Gospel Reading:
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:
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:4)
At his son’s twenty-first birthday party, the proud father began a toast by recalling the day his boy was born. “What a wonderful day it was!” he said. “Your mother and I are so glad you came into our lives—although we don’t care too much for what you have done since then!” He was joking, of course, and his son knew it. He knew his father loved him and treasured every day they had spent together.
We’re celebrating a birthday today as well: the day the Church was born. But as that father’s joke showed, there’s more to a birthday than remembering the day it all began. So today, let’s thank the Holy Spirit for “what he has done since then”!
Think about it: without the Spirit’s inspiration, Christian men and women would not have handed down the gospel message from generation to generation until it reached you.
But the Holy Spirit doesn’t just live in our great saints, whether past or present. He is also in you, helping you live a holy life. Have you ever felt inspired to reach out to someone in need? That’s the Holy Spirit. Have you ever tried to share your faith with someone? That’s the Holy Spirit. Have you ever fought hard against temptation and won? That’s the Spirit. Have you ever left Mass or come out of a prayer time feeling refreshed and closer to God? That, too, is the Holy Spirit!
So thank him! Think of some small way you can celebrate what he has done and what he is still doing today. Maybe look online to see the different ways Pentecost is marked across the world. Maybe spend a few extra minutes in prayer reading about the gifts of the Spirit. Or maybe treat yourself and your loved ones to a special dessert. After all, it is a birthday!
“Holy Spirit, I am so grateful that you came to be with your Church and, even more so, that you are with me today!”
