SOLACE IN THE MIDST OF WOE

Readings for Sunday, May 28, 2023

Pentecost Sunday
Lectionary: 63

Qari tas-Solennità ta’ Għid il-Ħamsin

Reading 1               ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 2:1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

Qari 1                 mill-Ktieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli 2, 1-11

Meta wasal jum Għid il-Ħamsin, huma kienu lkoll flimkien f’post wieħed. F’daqqa waħda ġie mis-sema ħoss bħal ta’ riħ qawwi, u mela d-dar kollha fejn kienu qegħdin. U dehrulhom ilsna qishom tan-nar, li tqassmu u qagħdu fuq kull wieħed minnhom. Imtlew ilkoll bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u bdew jitkellmu b’ilsna oħra, skont ma l-Ispirtu kien jagħtihom li jitkellmu. F’Ġerusalemm kien hemm xi Lhud, nies twajba minn kull nazzjon li hawn taħt is-sema. Malli nstama’ dan il-ħoss, inġabret kotra kbira, ilkoll imħawdin għax kull wieħed minnhom kien jismagħhom jitkellmu bl-ilsien tiegħu. Miblugħin u mistagħġbin, bdew jgħidu: “Dawn li qegħdin jitkellmu mhumiex ilkoll mill-Galilija? Mela kif kull wieħed minna qiegħed jismagħhom jitkellmu bi lsien art twelidu? Partin, Medin u Għelamin, nies mill-Mesopotamja, mil-Lhudija, mill-Kappadoċja, minn Pontu, mill-Asja, mill-Friġja, mill-Pamfilja, mill-Eġittu, mill-inħawi tal-Libja madwar Ċireni, nies li ġew minn Ruma, kemm Lhud u kemm prosèliti, oħrajn minn Kreta u Għarab, aħna lkoll qegħdin nisimgħuhom ixandru bl-ilsna tagħna l-għeġubijiet ta’ Alla!” Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm               PSALM 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
    O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
    the earth is full of your creatures.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
    may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
    I will be glad in the LORD.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

If you take away their breath, they perish
    and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
    and you renew the face of the earth.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Salm Responsorjali                Salm 103 (104), 1ab.24aċ.29bċ-30.31.34

R/. (30): Ibgħat l-Ispirtu tiegħek, Mulej, u ġedded il-wiċċ tal-art

Bierek ruħ tiegħi, lill-Mulej!
Mulej, Alla tiegħi, inti kbir bil-bosta!
Kemm huma kotrana l-għemejjel tiegħek, Mulej!
Mimlija l-art bil-ħlejjaq tiegħek. R/.

Jekk teħdilhom nifishom, imutu,
u lejn it-trab jerġgħu jmorru.
Malli tibgħat in-nifs tiegħek, jinħolqu,
u inti ġġedded il-wiċċ tal-art. R/.

Jibqa’ sebħ il-Mulej għal dejjem!
Jifraħ il-Mulej bl-għemejjel tiegħu!
Ħa togħġbu l-għanja tiegħi,
għax jiena fil-Mulej l-hena tiegħi. R/.

Reading 2                1 CORINTHIANS 12:3b-7, 12-13

Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;  there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 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. 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.

 Qari 2                 mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 12, 3b-7.12-13

Ħuti, ħadd ma jista’ jgħid: “Ġesù hu l-Mulej!”. jekk mhux imqanqal mill-Ispirtu s-Santu. Hemm imbagħad diversi doni, imma l-istess wieħed hu l-Ispirtu; hemm diversi ministeri, imma l-istess wieħed hu l-Mulej; hemm diversi ħidmiet, imma l-istess Alla, li jaħdem kollox f’kulħadd. Lil kull wieħed tingħata r-rivelazzjoni tal-Ispirtu għall-ġid ta’ kulħadd. Bħalma l-ġisem hu wieħed u fih ħafna membri, u l-membri kollha tal-ġisem, għad li huma ħafna, jagħmlu ġisem wieħed, hekk ukoll Kristu. Għax aħna wkoll, ilkoll tgħammidna fi Spirtu wieħed biex nagħmlu ġisem wieħed, sew Lhud sew Griegi, sew ilsiera sew ħielsa, u lkoll xrobna minn Spirtu wieħed. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

SEQUENCE  - Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
    You, of comforters the best;
    You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
    Sweet refreshment here below;
    In our labour, rest most sweet;
    Grateful coolness in the heat;
    Solace in the midst of woe.
    O most blessed Light divine,
    Shine within these hearts of yours,
    And our inmost being fill!
    Where you are not, we have naught,
    Nothing good in deed or thought,
    Nothing free from taint of ill.                              
    Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
    On our dryness pour your dew;
    Wash the stains of guilt away:
    Bend the stubborn heart and will;
    Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
    Guide the steps that go astray.
    On the faithful, who adore
    And confess you, evermore
    In your sevenfold gift descend;
    Give them virtue’s sure reward;
    Give them your salvation, Lord;
    Give them joys that never end. 
                Amen.  Alleluia.

Sekwenza

Spirtu s-Santu, ejja fina,
raġġ ta’ dawl qaddis agħtina,
xerrdu f’ruħna mis-smewwiet.
O Missier il-foqra tiegħek,
inti ġġib id-doni miegħek,
tagħni b’dawlek qalb l-ulied.
    Inti l-aqwa faraġ tagħna,
    fik kull hena xħin tkun magħna,
    tħossok fewġa ħelwa r-ruħ.
    Fl-għaja, lejn is-serħ twassalna;
    jekk imħeġġa wisq, trażżanna;
    mill-għajnejn tixxotta d-dmugħ.
    O dawl hieni ta’ qdusija,
    nitolbuk li bik mimlija
     tkun il-qalb ta’ kull fidil.
    Mingħajr dawlek li jmexxina
    ebda ħajr ma jkun hemm fina,
    ebda safa fl-għemil.
    Naddaf kull fejn hemm it-tbajja’,
    fejn hemm nixfa reġġa’ l-ħajja,
    lill-miġruħ agħtih fejqan.
    Rattab fina l-ebusija,
    agħti lill-berdin bżulija,
    għin fit-triq lil min beżgħan.
    Agħti s-seba’ doni tiegħek
    lil min jimxi fidil miegħek
    u li fik jistrieħ kull ħin.
    Agħti ’l kull virtù sabiħa
    ħlas ta’ salvazzjoni sħiħa,
    agħti l-ġenna lit-tajbin. 
            Ammen. Hallelujah.

Gospel                JOHN 20:19-23

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.” 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 on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Evanġelju                Qari skond San Ġwann 20, 19-23

Dak il-Ħadd fil-għaxija, fl-ewwel jum tal-ġimgħa, meta d-dixxipli kienu flimkien imbeżżgħa mil-Lhud, bil-bibien magħluqa, ġie Ġesù u qagħad f’nofshom; u qalilhom: “Is-sliem għalikom!”. Kif qal hekk, uriehom idejh u ġenbu. Id-dixxipli ferħu meta raw lill-Mulej. Imbagħad Ġesù tenna jgħidilhom: “Is-sliem għalikom! Kif il-Missier bagħat lili, hekk jien nibgħat lilkom”. Kif qal hekk, nefaħ fuqhom u qalilhom: “Ħudu l-Ispirtu s-Santu. Dawk li taħfrulhom dnubiethom ikunu maħfura, u dawk li żżommuhomlhom ikunu miżmuma”.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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An 8-minute Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr Anthony Kadavil 

OUR TEACHING AND GUIDING GOD     

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Introduction: 

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, which literally means 50th. It is a feast celebrated on the 50th day after the Passover feast by the Jews and a feast celebrated on the 50th day after the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus by Christians. The Jewish Pentecost was originally a post-harvest thanksgiving feast. Later, the Jews included in it the remembrance of God’s Covenants with Noah after the Deluge and with Moses at Mt. Sinai.

The event: 

On the day of Pentecost we are reminded of:

1) when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary as tongues of fire;

2) the frightened apostles being transformed into fiery preachers and evangelisers and were given the gift of tongues by a special anointing of the Holy Spirit; 

3) the listeners who experienced a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit through the apostles’ gift of tongues and they heard Peter speaking in their native languages,

4) the early Christians who became powerful witnesses and brave martyrs for their Faith in Jesus. 

The role of the Holy Spirit in our Christian life is for Him to be: 

1) An indwelling God, the Holy Spirit who makes us His Living Temples (I Cor 3:16). 

2) A strengthening God, He strengthens us in our fight against temptations and in our mission of bearing witness to Christ by our transparent Christian lives. 

3) As a sanctifying God, He makes us holy through the Sacraments: 

a) Through Baptism He makes us children of God and heirs of Heaven. 

b) Through Confirmation, He makes us temples of God, warriors, and defenders of the Faith. 

c) Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, He enables us to be reconciled with God by pardoning our sins. 

d) Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, He gives us spiritual nourishment by changing bread and wine into Jesus’ Body, Blood Soul, and Divinity, through Epiclesis. 

e) Through the Sacraments of the priesthood (Ordination) and matrimony (Marriage), He makes the Church community holy. 

    4) A teaching and guiding God, He clarifies and constantly reminds us of Christ’s teachings and guides the Magisterium of the Church in presenting Christ’s teachings correctly. 

    5) A listening and speaking God, He listens to our prayers, enables us to pray, and speaks to us, mainly through the Bible. 

    6) A Giver of gifts, He pours out on us His gifts, fruits, and charisms, thus enriching the Church.

Life messages: 

We need to permit the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives: 

1) by constantly remembering His Holy Presence and behaving well; 

2) by praying for His daily anointing so that we may fight against our temptations and control our evil tendencies, evil habits, and addictions; 

3) by asking His daily assistance to pray, listening to God through meditative Bible reading, and talking to Him by personal, family and liturgical prayers; and 

4) by asking the help of the Holy Spirit to do good for others and to be reconciled with God and others every day.

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