14/05/2026
Rejoice! A blessed birthday of the Church! Let us do our share for the Church of the Lord...
May 24, 2026: Pentecost Sunday, Mass during the Day
Gospel: JOHN 20: 19-23
19 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."
Q: When did this happen? Why were the doors locked? But Who came and stood in the midst of the disciples? What did H say to them?
Note: This was during the evening of Resurrection Sunday.
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Q: Then, what did Jesus show the disciples? What was their reaction when they saw the Lord?
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
Q: What did Jesus say to the disciples again?
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
Q: After commissioning them, Who did Jesus give to the disciples?
23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."
Q: And what mission did He authorize them?
Note: This is the institution of the Sacrament of Confession/Penance/Reconciliation.
Key points/summary: peace proof that Jesus had risen from the dead; receive the Holy Spirit; commissioned; sins to be forgiven and retained
Reading 1: ACTS 2: 1-11
1When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.
Q: What feast was to be celebrated? Who were in one place together?
Note: After Ascension, the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. Pentecost is an annual celebration of the Jews also called Shavout which occurs 49 days after the 1st day of Passover. This commemorates God’s giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai, 49 days after the Exodus. It is now 49 days after Resurrection, 50 days from Easter Sunday.
2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Q: What suddenly came from the sky? What happened to the entire house?
3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
Q: And what appeared to rest on each of them?
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Q: And what happened to the disciples?
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
Q: Who were gathered and were staying in Jerusalem during this time?
6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
Q: When they heard the sound, what did the Jews do? But what did they feel? Why were they confused?
7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Q: What was their reaction to what they heard? What did they ask in amazement?
8 Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
Q: What can they not understand?
9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia,
Q: Where were the people from?
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome,
Q: Where else were they from?
11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."
Q: And what were they hearing from the disciples?
Key points/summary: Pentecost; disciples gathered in Upper Room; noise like strong driving wind; tongues of fire on each of disciples; filled with the Holy Spirit; speak in different tongues; heard and understood by different peoples; mighty acts of God
Connection of Gospel and 1st reading: In the Gospel, the Lord Jesus sends His disciples to a mission just as the Father sent Him. He empowers them with the Holy Spirit as they carry on their mission of forgiving sins that may be forgiven and retaining those that must be retained. In the 1st reading, the empowered disciples proclaim about the mighty acts of God of which forgiveness is one of those might acts. Further, these mighty acts of God and the mission of the disciples are not for Jews alone but for all mankind.
Reading 2: 1 CORINTHIANS 12: 3B-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters:
3b No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
Q: How can one say that Jesus is Lord?
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
Q: How many spiritual gifts are there? But from how many Spirit are the gifts from?
5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
Q: How many forms of service are there? But for Whom are these forms of service?
6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.
Q: How many workings are there? But who produces all these works?
7 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.
Q: But why was each individual given a manifestation of the Spirit?
note: given for some benefit – for the common good
12 As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ.
Q: To what did Paul compare Christ? And based on this, how must one with a manifestation of the Spirit work?
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Q: And why should each work as part of one body of Christ?
Key points/summary: by the Holy Spirit proclaim Jesus is Lord; many spiritual gifts, same Spirit; many forms of service, same Lord; many works from God for everyone; benefit of many/common good; one body in Christ; baptized in one Spirit
Connection of 3 readings: As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sent His disciples for a mission with the power of the Holy Spirit. The power given to them is forgiveness. This power is a mighty act of God proclaimed by the disciples to all peoples who gathered in Jerusalem on Pentecost Day. They were able to proclaim because of the gift of tongues from the Holy Spirit. In the 2nd reading, Paul adds that there are many spiritual gifts, many forms of service and many works from God. However, these gifts, service and works must be done and used by everyone for the common good because each has been baptized by the Holy Spirit as part of the Body of Christ, the Church.
Pentecost Sunday is the birth of the Church when the disciples received the Holy Spirit in order for them to fulfil their mission which is mainly to forgive. Whatever gift one has received from the Lord, one must use it for some benefit, for the common good, because each one who has been baptized in one Spirit is part of the Body of Christ, the Church.
Hibla: Use gifts for the common good.
Application: What gift do you have? How do you use it?
How often do you forgive?
What do you contribute to the Body of Christ, the Church?
Responsorial Psalm: PS 104
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Hibla + resp Psalm: Use gifts for the common good and the face of the earth will be renewed.
Ctto Bro Norman Garcia
