Pentecost

Pentecost 

  Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, the birth of the Church on earth. The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and transformed aspects of each one of them and they were able to evangelize to those in the crowds. I have often wondered what that must have been like. Not just for those who they evangelized but for them as well. One moment in your life you are one way then the Holy Spirit enters you and you are changed from the inside out. They were able to speak languages that they did not know. They were able to speak of God in ways people would understand. Yet, not all people accepted this. This is true still today. We have the Holy Spirit within us and it is not just those around us that do not believe, it is also us as well at times. 

   There are time when that inner voice is trying to speak and be clear that we allow the world or we turn up the noise so we do not hear that voice. That is the Holy Spirit trying to make that connection between us and God. When we crank up the noise of the world we do the same as those who rejected the message of the disciples. We are to invite the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and take over our lives. To guide us in our actions and our words. With that in mind I have decide to include some prayers about the Holy Spirit. I hope that today as we renewed our baptismal promises that we allowed the Holy Spirit to rekindle our lives for God. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and may the Holy Spirit inspire our actions and our words.  

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries of the universe in relation to eternity. Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love. Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another. May we respect life as we work to solve problems of family and nation, economy and ecology. Spirit of God, spark our faith, hope and love into new action each day. Fill our lives with wonder and awe in your presence which penetrates all creation. Amen. 

OR

Oh Holy Spirit, You are the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. You are the Spirit of truth, love and holiness, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and equal to Them in all things. I adore You and love You with all my heart. Teach me to know and to seek God, by whom and for whom I was created. Fill my heart with a holy fear and a great love for Him. Give me compunction and patience, and do not let me fall into sin. 

Increase faith, hope and charity in me and bring forth in me all the virtues proper to my state of life. Help me to grow in the four cardinal virtues, Your seven gifts and Your twelve fruits. 

Make me a faithful follower of Jesus, an obedient child of the Church and a help to my neighbor. Give me the grace to keep the commandments and to receive the sacraments worthily. Raise me to holiness in the state of life to which You have called me, and lead me through a happy death to everlasting life. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Grant me also, O Holy Spirit, Giver of all good gifts, the special favor for which I ask {name special petition}, if it be for Your honor and glory and for my well being. Amen. 

OR

Holy Spirit of light and love, you are the substantial love of the Father and the Son; hear my prayer. Bounteous bestower of most precious gifts, grant me a strong and living faith which makes me accept all revealed truths and shape my conduct in accord with them. Give me a most confident hope in all divine promises which prompts me to abandon myself unreservedly to you and your guidance. Infuse into me a love of perfect goodwill, and act according to God's least desires. Make me love not only my friends but my enemies as well, in imitation of Jesus Christ who through you offered himself on the Cross for all people. Holy Spirit, animate, inspire, and guide me, and help me to be always a true follower of you. Amen. 

OR

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy. 

Saint Augustine

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 359

Reading 1

1 KGS 17:1-6

Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:

“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,

during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”

The LORD then said to Elijah:

“Leave here, go east

and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.

You shall drink of the stream,

and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.”

So he left and did as the LORD had commanded.

He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.

Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,

and bread and meat in the evening,

and he drank from the stream.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 121:1BC-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;

whence shall help come to me?

My help is from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

May he not suffer your foot to slip;

may he slumber not who guards you:

Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,

the guardian of Israel.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;

he is beside you at your right hand.

The sun shall not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night. 

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The LORD will guard you from all evil;

he will guard your life.

The LORD will guard your coming and your going,

both now and forever. 

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Gospel

MT 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,

and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 

He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you

and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.

Rejoice and be glad,

for your reward will be great in heaven.

Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”