Pentecost Sunday - Year A
June 4, 2017
Gospel: Jn 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week (1), 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 (2) on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit (3). Whose
sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (4)."
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(1)The first
day of the week is
Sunday, and in this case, Easter Sunday.
(2)To breathe on someone was a sign of
sharing with them the spirit within you. Jesus thus gives the Apostles the Holy
Spirit.
(3)The Holy Spirit empowers the Apostles
to forgive sins. In the name of Jesus, they are given the power to forgive the
bad things that someone has done.
(4)To retain means to keep or remember
something. Hence, to retain a sin means
not to forgive it.
This week’s spotlight
Pentecost
On the day of Pentecost, the Apostles received the
Holy Spirit. He freed them from their fear and they were able to speak about
Jesus. Some three thousand people gathered around them that day and were
baptized. This first assembly of believers became the Church. Today, Christians
celebrate Pentecost as the birth of the Church.
Prayer for the Holy Spirit
Twice during the Eucharistic Prayer, the Priest asks the Holy Spirit to intervene. The
first time, he holds his hands over the bread and the wine and asks the Holy
Spirit to make these offerings become the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ. A
second time, he calls the Spirit upon
the congregation so that the people become the Body of Christ. These two
prayers are called epicleses. In Greek this word means to come down upon - it
is the Holy Spirit who comes down upon us during Mass.
Reflection
So I send you
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives his Apostles a
mission: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” God never gives a mission,
however, without giving the power needed to fulfill that mission. That's why
Jesus then says: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” We too have received a mission and
the strength to fulfill it. At our baptism we too became Apostles, sent out
into the world to proclaim the Good News and to live as the children of God.
The Holy Spirit is God’s gift that empowers us to accomplish the mission
entrusted to us. He is God’s love dwelling in our hearts and helping us to love
one another. God’s love is so great that, even when we fail to love, his mercy
and forgiveness are available through the ministry of the Church. Thank you,
Father, for the Holy Spirit! Thank you, Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins!
Discussion questions
1.Why are the disciples behind locked doors?
2.How does Jesus give the Holy Spirit to his disciples?
3.What does the Holy Spirit help the disciples to do?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Come
Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of you faithful, and kindle in them the fire of
your love. Amen.
This week…
Calling upon the Spirit
Sit down comfortably in your
prayer corner and say your morning and evening prayers to the Holy Spirit. Ask
him to pour his love upon you. Also call upon the Spirit to help you share his
love with all the people you meet.
Be a good observer
On a piece of paper that you will
keep in your prayer corner, write down the names of five people (your parents,
your brothers and sisters, your friends). This week, for each of these people,
write down a quality or gift from God which makes them particularly special to
you.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm