Vigil Mass for Pentecost
Genesis 11:1–9, Exodus 19:3–8a, 16–20b, Ezekiel 37:1–14
or Joel 3:1–5
Psalm 104:1–2, 24, 35, 27–28, 29, 30
Romans 8:22–27
John 7:37–39
Mass of the Day
Acts 2:1–11
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29–30, 31, 34
1 Corinthians 12:3b–7, 12–13 or Romans 8:8–17
John 20:19–23 or John 14:15–16, 23b–26
All salvation history is gathered into the one great Feast of Pentecost. The liturgical cycle of the Paschal Mystery that began on Ash Wednesday “explodes” into the wind and flame of Pentecost. Lent, the Passion of the Lord, Easter, Resurrection, Ascension and intense prayer of those who have come to believe join into the fulfillment of promises and longings of the human heart.
The readings offered for the vigil and the day of Pentecost present key moments of the whole journey that God has made with His people. From the division of human cultures at Babel to the peals of thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai, to the raising of the dry bones of Ezekiel, to the promise of the Spirit for all mankind, to the Easter appearances of the risen Lord, to the gathering of the Twelve with Mary on Pentecost, human beings have been prepared for an encounter with the living God.
While it is doubtful that many parishes will take advantage of all the readings (which could be done in parallel with the Easter Vigil), it is worth taking time to explore all of them.
Unity comes from the Spirit. Renewal of peoples and of the face of the earth is accomplished by the Spirit. Power to open and transform hearts is given to men and women of faith who allow the Spirit to move them.
Pentecost brings the Church to birth. Weak and fearful souls, wounded by loss and sorrow, are made strong. Those who hear them speak think they are inebriated due to their exuberance. But soon, the hearers are caught up by the Spirit and become believers, added to the Church that very day.
Pentecost offers hope for the brokenness of our world today. Jesus Himself cries out, offering “streams of living water” that will fulfill the cry of human hearts, including that of Jesus and every thirsty soul. When human beings rely not on themselves but on the very breath that created the universe, they share in God’s creative power.
We are capable of both finding the solutions to the problems that beset us in this world and of entering into the living relationship with God that is promised through the whole of sacred Scripture.
Many Catholics who have participated in the present-day offerings of renewal comment that they never heard of the Holy Spirit as a Person with Whom they could have a living relationship. They knew about the Spirit through prayers and through the Scriptures they have read. But somehow the invitation to a more complete understanding of how to open their lives to the Spirit passed them by.
To open to the Spirit is as simple as uttering a three-word prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit!” When we pray this prayer and open our lives to the breath of the Spirit, something new happens for us. We discover new depths to our relationship with God, ourselves and others. The Spirit brings back what was lost and broken. The Spirit frees us to cooperate with God’s plan for ourselves and for all creation. We cry out, “Abba! Father!” and are caught up into the life of God, Who is Father, Son and Spirit.
In addition to the riches of the Scripture that are associated with the celebration of Pentecost, a special prayer, called the Sequence, is part of the Liturgy of Pentecost. The images captured in this poetic cry of the heart invite us to call the Spirit into the crevices of our lives that need divine consolation and healing.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour thy 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.
May we open our lives to the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about peace in our time. Come, Holy Spirit!