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Pentecost Sunday
Proper Preparation
Catholic Douay Rheims Bible
This is the Written Word of God
"Proximate preparation" includes two prayers:
1) The Act of Contrition.
2) The Veni, Sancte Spiritus.
O my God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, because I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul. I detest all of my sins because it was for them and His Love for me that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, my Lord and my God, suffered, was crucified, and died on the cross. O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee by my sins, faults, imperfections, negligences and carelessness, Who art all good and deserving of all of my love.
I firmly resolve with the help of Thy Grace, to sin no more, to confess my sins, to do penance, to amend my life, to avoid all of the near occasions of sin, and always give to Thee freely, liberally and generously what is of supererogation and perfection, not only in greater things, but especially in lesser things, so that I may gain beforehand Thy efficacious, superabundant, particular and special Graces and Helps so that I will always be victorious in resisting and overcoming all temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil and his followers. Grant me those Graces and Helps needed so that my every thought, word and action may be done solely out of love for Thee, Who art Love. Amen.
Saint John Chrysostom
It was the custom of Patriarch Saint John Chrysostom [b. Antioch, c. 347 A.D. - d. at Commana in Pontus on Friday, September 14, 407 A.D.], Patriarch of Constantinople [Thursday, February 26, 398 A.D. - Thursday, June 24, 404 A.D.], exiled from his See the 2nd time on Thursday, June 24, 404 A.D., Father and Doctor of the Catholic Church, to properly prepare himself and his Congregation before preaching. He taught that unless God the Holy Ghost prepares the minds and hearts of the Preacher and of the Congregation, the Preacher preaches in vain and the Congregation listens in vain.
Therefore, so as not to waste your time, please pray the Veni, Sancte Spiritus, remembering how one Holy Saint was of the opinion that a Sermon is a Sacramental.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus
Come, O Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be
created;
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let Us Pray
O God, who didst instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to relish what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary; pray for us.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, Patron Saint of Catholic Schools,
pray for us.
Epistle for Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-11.
The Epistle appointed to be read during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass today is taken from the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, Verses 1-11.
And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.
Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue.
And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying:
Behold, are not all these, that speak, Galileans? And how have we heard, every man our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
Gospel for Pentecost Sunday
John 14:23-31.
The Gospel for today is taken from the Holy Gospel of Saint John, Chapter 14, Verses 23 to 31.
At that time Jesus said to His Apostles:
If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words. And the word which you have heard, is not mine; but the Father's Who sent Me.Thus far are the words of today's Holy Gospel.These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. You have heard that I said to you: I go away, and I come unto you. If you loved Me, you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father: for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it comes to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe.
I will not now speak many things with you. For the prince of this world cometh, and in Me he hath not any thing. But that the world may know, that I love the Father: and as the Father hath given Me commandment, so do I: Arise, let us go hence.
VIn the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Today is the Traditional birthday of the Catholic Church.
The Church reminds all of us how, on that first Pentecost Sunday, God the Holy Ghost, the 3rd Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, the Paraclete promised by Christ, came upon the entire Catholic Church which was totally sequestered in what is called the “Cenacle” where Christ had completed the Old Covenant of the Old Testament with the Last Supper and instituted the New Covenant of the New and Eternal Testament with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Let’s now consider a few things about God the Holy Ghost.
The Scripture says:
“And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished”.What is “the Pentecost”? The word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek which means “the 50th day”.
In the Old Testament, it was one of the Holy Days God commanded Moses to be kept by the progeny of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob which was the day of the completion of the wheat harvest in Palestine. It was celebrated 50 days after the completion of the barley harvest (Leviticus 23:15-21). Pentecost later referred to the giving of the Law, i.e. the Ten Commandments, on Mount Sinai.
In the New Testament, the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles is called “Pentecost” because it happened on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Today is the Feast Day of God the Holy Ghost Who is called “the Paraclete”, which means “Helper”, “Comforter”, and “Consoler”. Pentecost is the fulfillment of Christ’s promise that was read at the beginning of the Gospel for last Sunday:
“But when the Paraclete cometh, Whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me” (John 15:26).This explains why the Second Œcumenical Council, the First Council of Constantinople [May, 381 A.D. - Thursday, July 30, 381 A.D.], used the expression “Who proceedeth from the Father” in the original text of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, the same Creed used during Mass here in the Ancient Roman Rite of the Catholic Mass.
Christ teaches that God the Holy Ghost is “the Spirit of Truth” which explains why the Angelic Doctor teaches that:
“God is Truth” (Saint Thomas Aquinas, O.P., Summa Theologica I, Question l16, Article 5 and II-II, Question 93, Article 2, Reply to Objection 2; Summa Contra Gentiles Volume I, 60).God the Holy Ghost, “the Spirit of Truth”, through the pen of the inspired writer, Saint Paul, tells us:
“that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times. Men shall be... Ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the Truth” (2 Timothy 3:1-2, 7).Parading about on the stage of the world are many people who are worldly and materialistic, puffed up with their own success in life and extremely proud of having acquired a great deal of knowledge about various things. Yet many of them hate the Truth so much that they see nothing wrong in lying. As a matter of fact, lying for many of them seems to be nothing more than a standard business tool, along with their cell phone, their laptop, and other such-like paraphernalia.
But, because “God is Truth” , those who hate the Truth also hate God. This is also why God the Holy Ghost, “the Spirit of Truth”, again, through the pen of Saint Paul, tells us that:
“...because they receive not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. Therefore God shall send them the operation of error, to believe lying: That all may be judged who have not believed the Truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).That is scary!
But it also explains in part why Synod Vatican 2 [Thursday, October 11, 1962 - Wednesday, December 8, 1965] happened and why its diabolical effects surround all of us today in many different ways, not to mention also why it still continues its amoral, heretical, and anti-spiritual “strangle-hold” on the minds and souls of otherwise sincere “Catholics” who are seemingly oblivious to the prophecized “abomination of desolation” [Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31] which is performed in their very midst every Sunday!
We respectfully suggest, in addition to whatever other devotions you may have, whether they be to the Holy Trinity, to the Sacred Heart, to our Blessed Virgin Mary, to Saint Michael the Archangel, to your Patron Saints or those of your special devotion as, for example, Saint Jude, and to the Poor, Suffering Souls in Purgatory, that you seriously consider adding a daily prayer to God the Holy Ghost.
Throughout my years in High School and the Seminary, I frequently prayed to God the Holy Ghost. Since my Ordination to the Holy Priesthood, I have discovered that having devotion to God the Holy Ghost has greatly helped me in my Pastoral Office.
This is true, not only of the wonderful help God the Holy Ghost gives me in the Confessional, but also when offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Administering the Seven Sacraments, teaching, writing, and, of course, in Sermon preparation.
Before I begin the Sermon, I try to remember to invite you to silently join me as I publicly prepare to give the Sermon, first by an Act of Contrition and then by a Prayer to God the Holy Ghost.
Patriarch Saint John Chrysostom [b. Antioch, c. 347 A.D. - d. at Commana in Pontus on Friday, September 14, 407 A.D.], Patriarch of Constantinople [Thursday, February 26, 398 A.D. - Thursday, June 24, 404 A.D.], exiled from his See the 2nd time on Thursday, June 24, 404 A.D., a Father and Doctor of the Catholic Church, had the custom of properly preparing himself and his Congregation before preaching. He taught that unless the Holy Ghost prepares the minds and hearts of those who speak and of those who listen, the Preacher preaches in vain and the Congregation listens in vain.
God the Holy Ghost is also the Comforter. Sometimes people get so focused on asking God the Holy Ghost for guidance and inspiration that they forget He will also help to heal their souls by bringing them peace of mind and soul by comforting them during stress and at other difficult and sorrowful moments in their lives.
For example, I was told of a case in which a stable, mentally-balanced, rational, mature adult Catholic claims that during a very stressful time in life, God the Holy Ghost came in a “strong, loud wind” and put His arms around this person leaving this person feeling totally at peace and also filled with a vibrant love of God!
Finally, of so many other great things I could mention about God the Holy Ghost, remember that the body of a Baptized Catholic is the temple of God the Holy Ghost. This is why an extreme abuse of the body is tantamount to a sacrilege. One example is masochists; another is those with all kinds of body tattoos and piercings.
Resolutions
For our resolutions, let’s resolve, right now, to pray for Docility to God the Holy Ghost in the spirit of true and genuine Humility and Meekness so that each of us may always remain lovers of the Truth, and thus lovers of God, including God the Holy Ghost Who is “the Spirit of Truth”, lest instead we be condemned to believe lying and falsehoods. Also, pray every day to God the Holy Ghost for His wonderful Divine guidance, inspiration, and comfort and always be sure to thank Him for everything.
As a final resolution, in the Holy Name of Jesus, and in an exercise of Catholic Charity, please contribute to the support of the Church - in this case - the Shrine of Saint Jude. Please help us to save Souls!
Thank you for your thoughtfulness and Charity! Remember, God is never outdone in generosity!!!
Think how happy you will be when, in the next life, God shows you all of the Souls you helped to save by helping our Apostolates, including this Sermon web site, because "he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).
“And in doing good, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not failing. Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).“And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.” (EPISTLE of today’s Mass [Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4]).
V In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Blessing
| V. Sit X Nomen
Domini benedictum.
R. Ex hoc nunc, et usque in saeculum. V. U Adjutorium nostrum in Nomine Domini. R. Qui fecit cœlum et terram. V. Benedicat vos, Omnipotens Deus: V. Pa X ter, et Fi X lius, et Spiritus XSanctus, descendat super vos, et maneat semper. R. Amen. |
V. Blessed X
be the Name of the Lord.
R. Now and for ever more. V. U Our help is in the Name of the Lord. R. Who made Heaven and earth. V. May Almighty God bless thee: V. The Fa X ther, the S X on, and the Holy X Ghost, descend upon thee, and always remain with thee. R. Amen. |
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