23/05/2026
PENTECOST SUNDAY [A/B/C]
[First Reading – Acts 2:1-11 / Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 104 / Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7.12-13 / Gospel – John 20:19-23]
“HAVING ‘SOMETHING’ OF GOD IN US!”
EMPOWERING AND ENRICHING THE CHURCH TO BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLES, IS THE GIFT OF PENTECOST! For this reason, we celebrate the GIFT OF LIFE and FAITH of our ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF GOD! And so let us all shout with joy in our hearts: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OUR MOTHER, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!
This feast echoes a courageous message from all of us = THOSE WHO HAVE NO PLACE TO GO AND ARE REJECTED BY OTHERS, COME TO OUR CHURCH; YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A ‘HOME’ AMONGST US, A HOME TO STAY! You are welcome. You will be healed. You will be forgiven. You will be consoled. You will find rest. You will know His Peace. You will not know want. YOU WILL BELONG AND BE PART OF THE MISSION!
Like the Lord, we will ‘break open the locked doors’ of your fears and insecurities, shame and grief, brokenness and discouragement; darkness and deaths; and DARE TO BREATHE INTO YOU the new courage and inspiration of HIS PEACE!
Is this pure imagination?
NO! We always proclaim those words of hope to the hopeless in the SEQUENCE before the proclamation of the Gospel, calling to mind the EXPERIENCE OF THE APOSTLES on that very particular day, vividly described in our First reading from the Acts of the Apostles. It is REAL GOOD NEWS. IT IS GOD’S EFFECT IN EACH OF US!
Come to think of it... I never came to know of a tree eating its own fruit. A tree that bears fruit allow itself to be harvested. We are God's Tree of Life. We are meant to bear fruit, to feed others. We are not intended to decorate the highways of life with our leaves. We are meant to bear much fruit in times of 'famine...' especially, when we are the only ones supposed to be bearing fruit so that no one would be hungry. Recall the fig tree that dried up [Matthew 21:14ff.]
We are a people gifted with the SEVENFOLD GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and fear of the Lord. From those Gifts, we POSSES ‘SOMETHING’ OF GOD, the FRUITS of them TO SHARE TO OTHERS, of Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Long Suffering, Mildness, Faith, Modesty, Continence and Chastity.
We belong to the Church born out of Pentecost. We belong to reach out to everyone. We share richer gifts to others, because we belong. We witness to transformations for the good, because we are one with the Lord's Body, the Church. We open all our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to care for all, because we are His Witnesses to the 'ends' of the earth. With the HOLY SPIRIT, WE ARE GOD'S GIFT TO ALL CREATION.
SUCH IS OUR INBORN CONFIDENCE!
The Psalmist expresses the exuberance of the wealth of the readings of this Sunday: "LORD, SEND OUT YOUR SPIRIT, and RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH!" Do we have to say more....?
YES, we have to say more too! But in a sense that after more than 2000 years, after the event of PENTECOST, mired in our BOLD CLAIM AS THE EXISTING BODY OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH, we still, MOST OF THE TIME, shout the same cry, IN ANGUISHED PLEADINGS FOR A WORLD THAT REMAINS 'WOUNDED.'
Humbly then, we open ourselves to the Lord’s visit, that HE may behold what we have done with the GIFTS OF HIMSELF, graciously entrusted to us and inaugurated that CREATIVE DAY WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT descended on OUR FATHERS OF FAITH!
BUT THEN AND AGAIN, WE SAY YES STILL with UNDYING HOPE that we can always make a difference in this world. We can never loose what the Lord continue to care for in us. The best part of which is the REALITY that just ONE GOOD ACT TODAY, from each of the many millions of Catholics all over the world, as our GIFT TO OUR MOTHER CHURCH to ADORE THE HOLY SPIRIT, could be the very origin and would easily START RIPPLES OF MIRACLES all over the world - in our homes, communities, cities, nations, parishes and dioceses - that SHE may continue to become the GIFT, GOD MEANT HER TO BE TO THE WORLD.
REMEMBER: IT ONLY TAKES ONE GOOD DEED TODAY TO RICHLY CELEBRATE AND CONTINUE THE LIFE OF PENTECOST IN OUR DAYS!
ONCE AGAIN TOO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, THE LORD’S AND OUR CHURCH.
Well, IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE RENEWED IN THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, EVERYONE. Let us be truly blessed!
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