Daily Readings for Sunday, June 8 2014. Today is Pentecost Sunday

Reading 1
Acts 2:1-11

¹ When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together,

² when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent wind which filled the entire house in which they were sitting;

³ and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them.

⁴ They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.

⁵ Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven,

⁶ and at this sound they all assembled, and each one was bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language.

⁷ They were amazed and astonished. 'Surely,' they said, 'all these men speaking are Galileans?

⁸ How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language?

⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; residents of Rome-

¹¹ Jews and proselytes alike -- Cretans and Arabs, we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.'

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

¹ Bless Yahweh, my soul, Yahweh, my God, how great you are! Clothed in majesty and splendour,

²⁴ How countless are your works, Yahweh, all of them made so wisely! The earth is full of your creatures.

²⁹ Turn away your face and they panic; take back their breath and they die and revert to dust.

³⁰ Send out your breath and life begins; you renew the face of the earth.

³¹ Glory to Yahweh for ever! May Yahweh find joy in his creatures!

³⁴ May my musings be pleasing to him, for Yahweh gives me joy.

Reading 2,
First Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13

³ Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no one who says 'A curse on Jesus' can be speaking in the Spirit of God, and nobody is able to say, 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit;

⁵ there are many different ways of serving, but it is always the same Lord.

⁶ There are many different forms of activity, but in everybody it is the same Godwho is at work in them all.

⁷ The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one is to be used for the general good.

¹² For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts -- all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body -- so it is with Christ.

¹³ We were baptised into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as Greeks,slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same Spirit to drink.

Gospel,
John 20:19-23

¹⁹ In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, 'Peace be with you,'

²⁰ and, after saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord,

²¹ and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you. 'As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.'

²² After saying this he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit.

²³ If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: DOCILE OR NOT?

"Then He breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit.' " –John 20:22

Most of us reading this reflection are baptized and confirmed Catholics. We went to Mass today and possibly have been praying the Pentecost novena for the past nine days in imitation of the very first Novena ever prayed (see Acts 1:4; 2:1). We may have heard a great homily today about how not to "stifle the Spirit" (1 Thes 5:19). However, it's likely that most of you probably weren't preached to about being totally docile to the Holy Spirit. We might have been asked today: "How are you using your spiritual gifts to advance the Kingdom of God?" If, however, you are lord of your workload, and not a worker for the Lord, your gifts and works won't bear much fruit.

Being docile to the Holy Spirit means that we are seeking the Lord of the work, not just seeking the work of the Lord. Being docile means that we aren't working on too many things for God, because the devil often tempts us with too many good things, in an effort to prevent us from focusing on that main thing God has called us to do.

Stop, drop everything, and listen to that soft voice of the Holy Spirit. "Receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn 20:22). Respond to His urgings. Ask the Lord to reveal that main thing He wants you to do today. Write it down. Discern it. Ask advice of other believers. Live it out.

PRAYER: Jesus, I ask You to make me as docile to Your Holy Spirit as humanly possible. Come, Holy Spirit, instruct me on what You want my purpose to be today.

PROMISE: "All were filled with the Holy Spirit." –Acts 2:4

PRAISE: All praise and glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Alleluia!

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