In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
O God, You Who have taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us by that Holy Spirit Himself, to know what is right and ever to rejoice in His help. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Wis 1:7.
The Spirit of the Lord fills the world, alleluia, is all-embracing, and knows man’s utterance, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. 67:2
God arises; His enemies are scattered, and those who hate Him flee before Him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Spirit of the Lord fills the world, alleluia, is all-embracing, and knows man’s utterance, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
A Reading from the Acts of Apostles
Acts 2:1-11.
When the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire, which settled upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak. Now there were staying at Jerusalem, devout Jews, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound was heard, the multitude gathered and were bewildered in mind, because each heard them speaking in his own language. But they were all amazed and marvelled saying, Behold, are not all these that are speaking Galileans? And how have we heard each his own language in which he was born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphilia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, Jews also and proselytes, Cretens and Arabians, we have heard them speaking in our own languages of the wonderful works of God.
Thanks be to God.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps. 103:30
Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created: and You shall renew the face of the earth. Alleluia.
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful: and kindle in them the fire of Your love.
Holy Spirit! Lord of light!
From Thy clear celestial height,
Thy pure, beaming radiance give:
Come, Thou, Father of the poor!
Come, with treasures which endure!
Come, Thou light of all that live!
Thou of all consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow:
Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
Light immortal! Light divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill.
If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay;
All his good is turn’d to ill.
Heal our wounds - our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.
Thou, on those who evermore
Thee confess and Thee adore,
In Thy sevenfold gifts descend.
Give them comfort when they die;
Give them life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John
John 14:23-31.
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: If anyone love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me, does not keep My words. And the word that you have heard is not Mine, but the Father’s Who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while yet dwelling with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your mind whatever I have said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, or be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I go away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would indeed rejoice that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it has come to pass you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the prince of the world is coming an in Me he has nothing. But he comes that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded Me.
Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
Homily by Pope St Gregory the Great.
30th on the Gospels.
Dearly beloved brethren, our best way will be to run briefly through the words which have been read from the Holy Gospel, and thereafter rest for a while quietly gazing upon the solemn subject of this great Festival. This is the day whereon "suddenly there came a sound from heaven," and the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles, and, for fleshly minds, gave them minds wherein the love of God was shed abroad and, while without "there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them," within, their hearts were enkindled. While they received the visible presence of God in the form of fire, the flames of His love enwrapped them. The Holy Ghost Himself is love whence it is that John saith "God is love." Whosoever therefore loveth God with all his soul, already hath obtained Him Whom he loveth for no man is able to love God, if He have not gained Him Whom he loveth.
But, behold, now, if I shall ask any one of you whether he loveth God, he will answer with all boldness and quietness of spirit " I do love him." But at the very beginning of this day's Lesson from the Gospel, ye have heard what the Truth saith " If a man love Me, he will keep My word." The test, then, of love, is whether it is showed by works. Hence the same John hath said in his Epistle I. iv. 20, v. 3 "If a man say, I love God, and keepeth not His commandments, He is a liar." Then do we indeed love God, and keep His commandments, if we deny ourselves the gratification of our appetites. Whosoever still wandereth after unlawful desires, such an one plainly loveth not God, for he saith, Nay, to that which God willeth.
And My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." O my dearly beloved brethren, think what a dignity is that, to have God abiding as a guest in our heart Surely if some rich man or some powerful friend were to come into our house, we would hasten to have our whole house cleaned, lest, perchance, when he came in, he should see aught to displease his eye. So let him that would make his mind an abode for God, cleanse it from all the filth of works of iniquity. Lo, again, what saith the Truth " We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." There are some hearts whereunto God cometh, but maketh not His abode therein with a certain pricking they feel His Presence, but in time of temptation they forget that which hath pricked them and so they turn again to work unrighteousness, even as though they had never repented.
From Holy Rosary by St. Josemaria Escriva - Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost
Our Lord had said: I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, another Consoler, to abide with you forever (John 14:16). When the disciples were gathered together in one place, suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were. —At the same time, parted tongues of fire appeared and rested upon each one of them (Acts 2:1-2).
Filled with the Holy Ghost, the Apostles seemed as though drunk (Acts 2:13).
And Peter, around whom the other eleven gathered, raised his voice and spoke. —We, people from a hundred nations, hear Him. —Each of us hears him in his own language. —You and I in ours. —He speaks to us of Christ Jesus and of the Holy Ghost and of the Father.
He is not stoned nor thrown in prison: of those who have heard him, three thousand are converted and baptized.
You and I, after helping the Apostles administer baptism, bless God the Father, for His Son Jesus, and we too feel drunk with the Holy Ghost.
Pray 5 decades of the Rosary meditating on the Glorious Mysteries
