A Pastoral Ministry of the Members of the Society of St Paul

VOL. 52, NO. 35 PENTECOST SUNDAY (C) – White 08 JUNE 2025

INTRODUCTION
The Feast of Pentecost was celebrated exactly fifty days after the Feast of the Passover. After the
Passover festivities, the Jewish people would once again come to Jerusalem for the Pentecost. The
Pentecost that came after Christ died was a memorable one in many ways: it led to the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and marked the official birthday of the Church. Let us thank God
for both these extraordinary events. The apostles, together with Blessed Mother, gathered in the
upper room received the gift of the Holy Spirit in a spectacular way, and set out to proclaim the
good news. Hitherto fear-stricken and sad, they became the courageous witnesses of Christ after
they received the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the Feast of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost reminds us of our
own call to mission. Like the apostles we too are empowered to witness to Christ and proclaim the
good news. Do we feel the presence of the Spirit in our lives and what does he prompt us to do?

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Cel: Lord, have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy.
The Love of God has been poured into our Cel: Christ, have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy.
hearts through the Spirit of God dwelling Cel: Lord, have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy.
within us, alleluia. (Rom 5:5)
GLORIA
Cel: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
and of the Holy Spirit. to people of good will. We praise you, we bless
All: Amen. you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you
Cel: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly
love of God, and the communion of the Holy King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ,
Spirit be with you all. Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God,
All: And with your spirit. Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the
Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins
acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated
to celebrate the sacred mysteries. (a brief silence) at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on
us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone
I confess to almighty God and to you, my are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus
brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God
in my thoughts and in my words, in what I the Father. Amen.
have done and in what I have failed to do, (and,
striking their breast, they say:) through my fault, COLLECT
through my fault, through my most grievous O God, who by the mystery of today’s great
fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, feast sanctify your whole Church in every
all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers people and nation, pour out, we pray, the
and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God. gifts of the Holy Spirit across the face of the
Cel: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive earth and, with the divine grace that was at
us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. work when the Gospel was first proclaimed,
All: Amen. fill now once more the hearts of believers.

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Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, SECOND READING
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of A reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul
the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. to the Corinthians (12:3b-7, 12-13)
Brethren, no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except
FIRST READING in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-11) gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were of service, but the same Lord; and there are
all together in one place. And suddenly there varieties of activities, but it is the same God
came from heaven a sound like a mighty who empowers them all in everyone. To each
rushing wind, and it filled the entire house is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the
where they were sitting. And divided tongues common good. For just as the body is one and
as of fire appeared to them and rested on each has many members, and all the members of the
one of them. And they were all filled with body, though many, are one body, so it is with
the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptised
tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free –
there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
men from every nation under heaven. And at The Word of the Lord.
this sound the multitude came together, and All: Thanks be to God.
they were bewildered, because each one was
hearing them speak in his own language. And SEQUENCE
they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are Holy Spirit, Lord of light, from Thy clear celestial
not all these who are speaking Galileans? And height Thy pure beaming radiance give. Come,
how is it that we hear, each of us in his own Thou Father of the poor, come with treasures
native language? Parthians and Medes and which endure, come, Thou Light of all that live.
Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea Thou, of all consolers best, Thou, the soul’s
and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia delightsome Guest, dost refreshing peace
and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya bestow. Thou in toil art comfort sweet, pleasant
belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, coolness in the heat, solace in the midst of woe.
both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians
Light immortal, Light divine, visit Thou these
– we hear them telling in our own tongues the
hearts of Thine, and our inmost being fill. If
mighty works of God.” Thou take Thy grace away, nothing pure in man
The Word of the Lord. will stay; all his good is turned to ill.
All: Thanks be to God. Heal our wounds; our strength renew; on our
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (104) dryness pour Thy dew; wash the stains of guilt
away. Bend the stubborn heart and will; melt
Response: Lord, send forth your Spirit, and
the frozen, warm the chill; guide the steps that
renew the face of the earth. Or Alleluia.
go astray.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God,
how great you are, How many are your works, Thou, on those who evermore Thee confess
O LORD! The earth is full of your creatures. + and Thee adore, in Thy sevenfold gifts descend:
give them comfort when they die, give them life
You take away their breath, they die, returning with Thee on high; give them joys that never
to the dust from which they came. You send end. Amen. Alleluia.
forth your spirit, and they are created, and you
renew the face of the earth. + ACCLAMATION
May the glory of the LORD last forever! May the Alleluia, Alleluia. Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the
LORD rejoice in his works! May my thoughts be hearts of your faithful; and kindle in them the
pleasing to him. I will rejoice in the LORD. + fire of your love. Alleluia.

Pentecost Sunday (C) 2

GOSPEL for a new Synodal Church by putting into
!A reading from the Holy Gospel according effect the Synodal themes of participation,
to John (20:19-23) communion and mission, we pray … +
All: Glory to you, O Lord. 2. For unity and peace in the Church and in
On the evening of that day, the first day of the the world, that the Holy Spirit may help all
week, the doors being locked where the disciples peoples and nations to live in peace and
were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood harmony, we pray... +
among them and said to them, “Peace be with 3. For people who are struggling with addictions,
you.” When he had said this, he showed them be it alcohol, drugs or any other substance
his hands and his side. Then the disciples were that make people incapable behaving and
glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them acting normally, that they may realize the
again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent harmful effects of these intoxicants and turn
me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had away from them, we pray... +
said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 4. For scientists, artists and writers that they
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins may be guided by the Spirit of Truth so that
of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold what they invent, produce and write may be
forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” highly beneficial to the people, we pray... +
Cel: The Gospel of the Lord. 5. For the sick and the elderly in our parishes
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. and those who have lost the joy of living
on account of unemployment or financial
PROFESSION OF FAITH burdens that the Spirit of God Who enables
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of everyone to re-invent their lives may come to
heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only the assistance of these people too, we pray...+
Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy
Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Cel: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was gift of the Holy Spirit. Fill us afresh with your
buried; he descended into hell; on the third day Spirit; purify us and empower us to be your
he rose again from the dead; he ascended into witnesses. May the gospel of your Son which
heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God enlightens every person may be proclaimed in
the Father Almighty; from there he will come to all the world. We make this prayer ....
judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, as promised by
of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection
your Son, the Holy Spirit may reveal to us
of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
more abundantly the hidden mystery of this
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL sacrifice and graciously lead us into all truth.
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, the disciples along Through Christ our Lord.
with Mary, the mother of Jesus, were waiting in PREFACE (Pentecost)
Jerusalem as they have been told to do. When It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
Pentecost came, they all received the gift of the always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord,
Holy Spirit and were emboldened to preach in holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
the Name of Jesus. That we too may receive a
fresh anointing of the Spirit as we celebrate the For, bringing your Paschal Mystery to
feast of Pentecost, let us pray, saying, completion, you bestowed the Holy Spirit today
on those you made your adopted children
Response: Lord, strengthen our faith. by uniting them to your Only Begotten Son.
1. For the pope, the bishops, the priests and the This same Spirit, as the Church came to birth,
religious that enlightened and emboldened opened to all peoples the knowledge of God
by the Holy Spirit they may sow the seeds and brought together the many languages of

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the earth in profession of the one faith. the birth of the Church was yet another new
Therefore, overcome with paschal joy, every creation that began with the birth of Jesus.
land, every people exults in your praise and The Spirit itself was a visible phenomenon as
even the heavenly Powers, with the angelic it appeared like the tongues of fire, distributed
hosts, sing together the unending hymn of and resting on the apostles. Then the apostles
your glory, as they acclaim: began to speak in foreign languages, attracting
All: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts… the attention of foreign Jews who were amazed
to hear their native languages spoken by the
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Galileans. This is also the phenomenon known
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke as “speaking in tongues” which occurs as the
of the marvels of God, alleluia. (Acts  2:4, 11) result of being filled with the Holy Spirit. This
sets the stage for Peter’s sermon which resulted
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION in the conversion and baptism of about 3000
O God, who bestow heavenly gifts upon your people (Acts 2:1-47).
Church, safeguard, we pray, the grace you Like all harvest feasts, it was a joyful occasion.
have given, that the gift of the Holy Spirit After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the
poured out upon her may retain all its force stage was set for the dissemination of the saving
and that this spiritual food may gain her message of Jesus. At the time of the ascension
abundance of eternal redemption. Through Jesus had given his disciples the clear mandate,
Christ our Lord. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel
to the whole creation.” Jesus had also urged
LITURGY AND LIFE his disciples not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for the promise of the Father. The
The feast of Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks is promise of the Father for which Jesus wanted
the second of the three great Jewish feasts. Its his disciples to wait in Jerusalem was the gift of
name signifies that it concludes the period of the Holy Spirit.
seven weeks which began with the presentation
The feast of Pentecost brings to an end the
of the first sheaf of the barley harvest during
Easter season and we too are ready to begin
the Passover celebration. Originally, the festival
our own journey. The Church has done her
was the time when, with appropriate rituals and
part and enabled us to journey ahead through
ceremony, the first fruits of the corn harvest,
the celebration of the Paschal events. With
the last Palestinian crop to ripen, were formally
the assurance that we make that journey
dedicated.
empowered by the Holy Spirit makes the
The harvest feast of Pentecost provided the journey light and fruitful. – AK
ideal setting for the public manifestation of the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. For the major June 2025
festivals like the Passover and the Pentecost (10th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I) (Psalter Week 2)
Jewish pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem. It was an 09 Mon (W) Mary, Mother of the Church
auspicious beginning witnessed by Jews from Gen 3:9-15, 20/ Ps 87:1-3, 5-7/ Jn 19:25-34
all parts of the Mediterranean region where 10 Tue (G) Martyrs of the Hulks of Rochefort
2 Cor 1:18-22/ Ps 119:129-133, 135/ Mt 5:13-16
they lived. It was also a fitting Divine strategy
11 Wed (R) St Barnabas, Ap
as the people who witnessed the fantastic Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3/ Ps 98:1-6/ Mt 5:17-19
event and had put their trust in the apostolic 12 Thu (W) Jesus Christ the Eternal high Priest
preaching and committed themselves to Christ Isa 6:1-4, 8 or Heb 2:10-18/ Ps 23:2-3, 5-6/
would nonetheless be its ambassadors. Jn 17:1-2, 9, 14-26
The outpouring of the Spirit on the apostles is 13 Fri (W) St Anthony of Padua
2 Cor 4:7-15/ Ps 116:10-11, 15-18/ Mt 5:27-32
also spectacular. There is the sound from heaven 14 Sat (G) Bl. Francisca de Jesus Isabel
like the rush of a mighty wind which once again 2 Cor 5:14-21/ Ps 103:1-4, 9-12/ Mt 5:33-37
reminds us of the first creation. Therefore,

Pentecost Sunday (C) 4