LECTIONARY READINGS
First reading: Acts 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103(104):1, 24, 29-31, 34
Second reading: Galatians 5:16-25
Gospel: John 15:26-27; 16:12-15.
Link to readings
Today we celebrate the great day of Pentecost, when Christ filled the Church with the power of his Spirit and sent his followers out into the world to bring his peace, joy and mercy to all. The First Reading tells the story of what happened on the first Pentecost. With the advent of the Holy Spirit, the disciples are filled with its power and the Church is born. The barrier of language between peoples is removed as the whole community hears the wonders of God’s message. The atmosphere is one of an exuberant and joyful new beginning.
The Psalmist is a person of deep faith who sees that nature bears the fingerprints of the Creator. God’s Spirit is also the Spirit of renewal of life.
Paul compares the imprisoning consequences of self-centeredness and self-indulgence with the life-giving fruits of the Spirit. He reminds the Galatians that it was the presence of the Spirit dwelling within them who would guarantee that they live the true Christian life (Second Reading).
In the Gospel, Jesus promises that the Spirit – the Advocate – will come, and continue to be with them. He also invites his followers to begin to witness to the fullness of the Father’s message of love, with the guidance and companionship of the Advocate.
This week, let us pray for ourselves and for the Christian Church. We ask for a sense of rediscovery of what it means to be the people of God, and that our hearts and minds might be open to the Spirit of truth.
PSALM 103 (104)
R./ Send forth your Spirit, O Lord and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord God, how great you are,
how many are your works, O Lord!
The earth is full of your riches.
You take back your spirit, they die,
returning to the dust from which they came.
You send forth your spirit, they are created:
and you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord last for ever!
May the Lord rejoice in his works!
May my thoughts be pleasing to him.
I find my joy in the Lord.
REFLECTION
I begin slowly, becoming aware of any internal distractions I bring into my prayer time … thoughts, emotions, sensations. I ask the Lord to hold them … to draw my inner attention towards him alone, that I might have a God-seeking heart.
I read the psalm thoughtfully a number of times, making the psalmist’s prayer of wonder and praise my own. I notice what stirs within me …. Perhaps I feel drawn to go for a ‘prayer-walk’, where I notice creation in all its glory … taking time to attend to all the signs of new growth and Spirit-filled life around me.
I express my deep appreciation for God’s goodness and generosity in giving me the riches of the earth. The psalm may lead me to ponder the life-giving nature of the Holy Spirit, who desires to renew and recreate me.
I call to mind parts of my life that need healing … or I may ask the Lord to show me where I need more freedom to enable me to follow his path. In trust I speak with the Lord about what has arisen in my prayer today. Finally, I rest in gratitude before the Lord.
If I can, throughout the day, I take some moments to consciously notice and praise God’s beauty.
GOSPEL
John 15: 1–8
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘When the Advocate comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses,
because you have been with me from the outset.
I still have many things to say to you,
But they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes,
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learned:
and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me, since all he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
this is why I said:
All he tells you will be taken from what is mine.’
REFLECTION
I prepare for prayer by deliberately slowing down, asking for inner stillness of mind, body and heart. I ask the Spirit of truth to enlighten my mind and lead me as I read today’s Gospel passage.
I gently permit Jesus’s words to sink in, maybe as if spoken directly to me. I may choose to stay with a particular word or phrase. I talk with Jesus about the way I feel as I hear his words. I read the text again. Perhaps I notice how Jesus speaks of the Father and of the Spirit, and am drawn to ponder the mystery of the Trinity.
How might God be inviting me into this relationship? Perhaps I feel drawn and comforted by Jesus’s promise of the Advocate, who will ‘lead me to the complete truth’. I pray that the Holy Spirit will make this promise more profound and personal within my own heart.
I rest in prayerful silence, allowing the Lord to touch me as he wills. Trusting in his love, I share with him what arises. I end my time of prayer asking for the gift of greater openness to the power of the Holy Spirit, who has already called me into life. Our Father …
Prepared by St Beuno’s Outreach in the Diocese of Wrexham