Readings
for
30 May 2004
Pentecost Sunday
MP3 recording of this sermon
Today's First Reading is from The Book of Acts beginning at the
2nd Chapter and the 1st Verse (Acts 2:1-11)
When the day of Pentecost
had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a
sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled
all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to
them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting
on each one of them. And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout
men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the
multitude came together, and they were
bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own
language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all
these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear,
each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and
E'lamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus
and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya
belonging to
Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans
and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works
of God."
La Primera Lectura es del Libro de Hechos, empezando en
el 2do Capitulo, y el 13mo Verso (Hech 2:1-11)
Al llegar
el día de Pentecostés, estaban todos reunidos en el mismo
lugar. De repente, un ruido del cielo, como de un viento recio,
resonó en toda la casa donde se encontraban. Vieron aparecer
unas lenguas, como llamaradas, que se repartían,
posándose encima de cada uno. Se llenaron todos de
Espíritu Santo y empezaron a hablar en lenguas extranjeras, cada
uno en la lengua que el Espíritu le sugería.
Se
encontraban entonces en Jerusalén judíos devotos de todas
las naciones de la tierra. Al oír el ruido, acudieron en masa y
quedaron desconcertados, porque cada uno los oía hablar en su
propio idioma. Enormemente sorprendidos, preguntaban:
--
¿No son galileos todos esos que están hablando? Entonces,
¿cómo es que cada uno los oímos hablar en nuestra
lengua nativa? Entre nosotros hay partos, medos y elamitas,
otros vivimos en Mesopotamia, Judea, Capadocia, en el Ponto y en Asia,
en Frigia o en Panfilia, en Egipto o en la zona de Libia que limita con
Cirene; algunos somos forasteros de Roma, otros judíos o
prosélitos; también hay cretenses y árabes; y cada
uno los oímos hablar de las maravillas de Dios en nuestra propia
lengua.
Today's Song of Praise is taken from Psalm 104: (Ps
104:1,22,29-30,31,34)
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the
earth.
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.
El Salmo Responsorial se toma del Salmo 104 (Ps
104:1,24,29-30,31,34)
R.- ENVÍA TU
ESPÍRITU, SEÑOR, Y REPUEBLA LA FAZ DE LA TIERRA
Bendice, alma mía, al
Señor:
¡Dios mío, qué grande eres!
Cuántas son tus obras, Señor;
la tierra está llena de tus
criaturas.
R.- ENVÍA TU
ESPÍRITU, SEÑOR, Y REPUEBLA LA FAZ DE LA TIERRA
Les retiras el aliento,
y expiran y vuelven a ser polvo;
envías tu aliento, y los creas, y
repueblas la faz de la tierra.
R.- ENVÍA TU ESPÍRITU, SEÑOR,
Y REPUEBLA LA FAZ DE LA TIERRA
Gloria a Dios para siempre,
goce el Señor con sus obras.
Que le sea agradable mi poema,
y yo me
alegraré con el Señor.
R.-
ENVÍA TU ESPÍRITU, SEÑOR, Y REPUEBLA LA FAZ DE LA
TIERRA
Today's Epistle is from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians,
beginning at the 12th Chapter, and the 3rd Verse (i Cor 12:3b-7,12-13)
No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy
Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same
Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same
Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God
who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation
of the Spirit for the common good.
For just as the body is one and has many
members, and all
the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with
Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into
one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to
drink of one Spirit.
Epistolo del Primera Carta de San Pablo a los Corintios, empezando
en el
Capitulo 12mo, y el Verso 3mo (1 Cor 12:3b-7,12-13)
Nadie puede decir: “Jesús es Señor”,
si no es bajo la acción del Espíritu Santo. Hay
diversidad de dones, pero un mismo Espíritu; hay diversidad de
ministerios, pero un mismo Señor; y hay diversidad de funciones,
pero un mismo Dios que obra todo en todos. En cada uno se manifiesta el
Espíritu para el bien común.
Porque, lo
mismo que el cuerpo es uno y tiene muchos miembros, y todos los
miembros del cuerpo, a pesar de ser muchos, son un solo cuerpo,
así es también Cristo. Todos nosotros, judíos y
griegos, esclavos y libres, hemos sido bautizados en un mismo
Espíritu, para formar un solo cuerpo. Y todos hemos bebido de un
solo Espíritu.
+A Reading from the Gospel of John, beginning at the 20th Chapter,
and the 19th Verse (John 20:19-23)
On the evening of that day, the first day of the
week, the doors being
shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he
had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the
disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them
again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send
you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to
them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
+Lectura de Santo Evangelio según San Juan, empezando en el
20mo Capitulo, y el 19mo Verso (Juan 20:19-23)
Al anochecer de aquel día, el día
primero de la semana, estaban los discípulos en una casa, con
las puertas cerradas por miedo a los judíos. Y en esto
entró Jesús, se puso en medio y les dijo:
--Paz a vosotros
Y, diciendo esto, les
enseñó las manos y el costado. Y los discípulos se
llenaron de alegría al ver al Señor. Jesús
repitió:
-- Paz a vosotros. Como el Padre me ha
enviado, así también os envío yo.
Y, dicho esto,
exhaló su aliento sobre ellos y les dijo:
-- Recibid el Espíritu Santo; a
quienes les perdonéis los pecados, les quedan perdonados; a
quienes se los retengáis, les quedan retenidos.
Sermon
for
30 May 2004
Pentecost Sunday
Today is the Birthday of the Church -- we count our
history as beginning with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the
Apostles on the 50th Day (what "Pentecost" means) after the
Resurrection.
Imagine, if you will, that day some ninteen-hundred
and seventy-four years ago -- mid-May of the year 30
A.D. It is the first day of the week, and the
Apostles are meeting, as they have gotten into the habit of doing, and
talking over what they have learned from Jesus.
It is thought that they met in the same room where
the Last Supper was held, and we know from the Gospels that they
usually had the door locked, for fear of the Jews. A normal
Sunday evening, except . .
There suddenly came a rushing and a roaring, as if a
mighty wind were shaking the house, and blowing through the
halls. Still timid and afraid, they would have wondered what had
been set upon them.
But instead of being hurt, as they had half-feared,
something very strange happens. They see light, flickering and
flowing among them, and what looked like a flame appeared above each
one's head!
Marvelling greatly, they began to speak, but the
room was filled with many voices, speaking in different
languages. The Apostles were astonished to find that they were
the ones talking -- and in different tongues, that they did not know.
The noise of the wind was heard not only by the
Apostles, but by the neighbors and people in the street, who came
rushing to find out what was happening -- after the manner of people
everywhere. And surprise spread through the crowd.
For each person -- from wherever in the world he
came -- heard the Apostles talking joyfully about the Good News of
salvation in Jesus Christ in his own language. People from all
over the known world
(and, one suspects from some unknown corners :) heard the Gospel
proclaimed as if by someone they had known all their lives, yet all
seem to have known that these Apostles were simple men, out of Galilee.
Many and many were converted and sought baptism on
the spot. Many more were impressed, and spread the word.
The Apostles themselves were no longer
afraid of the Jews or of anyone, and went boldly out to proclaim the
Gospel, to heal and work wonders, to become Martyrs/Witnesses to the
Risen Christ.
Indeed could they cry, as the Psalmist does in
today's Song of Praise:
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
With the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles
became one with Christ -- indeed became his Body manifest here on earth
-- and praising Jesus as Lord, with the force of the Holy Spirit, they
went
out into the world to forgive sins, heal it, and lead it back to its
Creator and Savior . . .
In the
Name of
the Father +
And of the Son
+
And of the
Holy Spirit +
Amen.
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