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(Usus Antiquior) Pentecost Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 23 May 2021 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Red

Introit

Wisdom 1 : 7 and Psalm 67 : 2

Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum, Alleluja : et hoc quod continet omnia, scientiam habet vocis, Alleluja, Alleluja, Alleluja.

Exsurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici Ejus : et fugiant, qui oderunt eum, a facie Ejus.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

The Spirit of the Lord had filled the whole earth, Alleluia, and that which contains all things had knowledge of the voice, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him fly before His face.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Deus, qui hodierna die corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti : da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere; et de ejus semper consolatione gaudere. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

O God, You who on this day had instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us, by the same Spirit, to relish what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 May 2021 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this evening we celebrate the Vigil Mass of the great Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday, marking the most momentous occasion when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord assembled in Jerusalem, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of the Lord, not long after the Lord ascended gloriously and returning into His Heavenly Throne. This day we celebrate this important moment as the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven unto us, as promised.

Today marks the beginning of the Universal Church, as it was on this day that the disciples of the Lord began their missionary outreach and efforts, as they previously hid themselves and kept a low profile out of fear of the Jewish authorities. After the Holy Spirit descended upon them, they began to go out and preached the Good News of God’s salvation and truth to the people assembled in Jerusalem, led by St. Peter, the leader of the Apostles, and it was told that three thousand men were convinced by them and gave themselves to be baptised.

Through the Scripture readings we have received and heard today in this Vigil of the Pentecost, we heard very important and symbolic readings that we may not have realised at first why these readings were chosen as the Scripture passages for this occasion. In fact, as we heard and remembered again what we have just heard earlier on, in the readings prescribed for this Pentecost Vigil, God wanted to show us through His Church, that the coming of the Holy Spirit restored and renewed all of us, His beloved people, once weakened and brought down by sin and the darkness of evil.

In our first reading, one of the readings came from the Book of Genesis, detailing the moment when God confused the language of the men and women gathered at the site of Babel, where they all aspired in pride to build a tower so high that it would reach up to the heavens itself. Through their wickedness, sin and disobedience therefore mankind had been scattered all throughout the world, divided by their languages and different speeches, unable to understand one another, divided in purpose and essence.

Then, when the Lord sent His Holy Spirit to His Apostles and disciples at the Pentecost, if we recall what happened, the Holy Spirit came down on them all and strengthened them, and they all began to speak in tongues, as they went out preaching and glorifying God before all the people who were gathered in Jerusalem, and all those people assembled were all astonished because they heard these disciples of the Lord all speaking simultaneously and at the same time in their own languages.

What happened, brothers and sisters in Christ? When mankind became proud and fell into sin, they lost the gift of wisdom and language, knowledge of the Holy Spirit, which God withdrew from them as what happened at the Tower of Babel. When He granted the Holy Spirit back once again to His disciples, they all received the Spirit that reinvigorated them, gave them wisdom and knowledge, one of which is the gift of tongues, that they were able to comprehend and speak in various languages.

Then, we also heard the reading of the Covenant between God and His people Israel as it happened in Mount Sinai in one of the other first reading for this Vigil, which is significant because in that occasion, the people of God rebelled against God and three thousand men were lost to the sin of idolatry, as they chose a golden calf idol over themselves to be their god instead of the Lord God Who led them out of the land of Egypt. Those three thousand people were slain because of their sin against God, in denying Him and refusing to acknowledge Him as God.

And as mentioned, on the day of the Pentecost, three thousand people were added to the numbers of the faithful, as an obvious contrast with what we heard regarding the moment when the Israelites fell into sin and disobeyed God with the golden calf idol. This is very symbolic as the gift of the Holy Spirit strengthens and restores the unity that we have with God, our Lord and Saviour, overcoming the power of sin that had led to death. Instead, through the Spirit, we have received new life in God, as those three thousand people baptised on the Pentecost had received theirs.

The prophet Ezekiel saw a great field of dry bones in his vision, and he saw how those bones became a great and vast assembly of people, all living and breathing after the Lord gave them the breath of life, which is representing the Holy Spirit, that exists in everywhere and in all things, just as in the beginning of the Book of Genesis, the Holy Spirit was represented as being in all things and floating all around nothingness before Creation came to be.

It was this same life that God has given to the first man, Adam, as He moulded him from dust, and the same life that the Lord has given to each and every one of us. And it was significant that this vision was revealed to the prophet Ezekiel as Ezekiel lived during a time when the fortunes of the Israelites were at its very lowest, having been scattered and made to wander off among the nations, humiliated and cast down because of their sins and disobedience against God, even losing their own homeland and the city in which God has placed His own dwelling, Jerusalem and its great Temple.

Through that vision, God wanted to tell His people that He shall restore them and return them once again to His grace. He shall gather them all back once again and reunite them to Himself, just much like how He also would restore all the other people who had been scattered because of their sin and pride at the Tower of Babel. He would restore them all and bless them once again, calling them to repent from their sins and to abandon their wicked ways. Through the Holy Spirit He would bestow on them all, He would reveal the fullness of truth to them and that they may seek and find Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all celebrate this Vigil of the great Solemnity of the Pentecost Sunday, all of us are called to reflect on the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit that God has given us, that through the Holy Spirit, He has strengthened and encouraged us, giving us wisdom and guidance wherever and whenever we need them. And all of us who have shared in the same Spirit of God, through our common baptism, have also shared in the same mission of the Church, that is to be the witnesses of the Lord and His truth in our own communities, at all possible opportunities, to reach out to our fellow men and women.

God has given us the Holy Spirit that we may be sanctified, rejuvenated and strengthened, that through the various gifts and talents we have received, we may indeed bear rich fruits of the Spirit, and shine with the most wonderful light of faith such that all those who see us, hear us and witness our deeds and works, they may all know that we are God’s beloved ones, His followers and disciples. And this is the challenge that we all have today. Have we been living our lives faithfully as we should as Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ? Or have we instead been ignorant of our mission and calling as Christians?

Let us all therefore be genuine witnesses of the Lord in all possible opportunities, doing whatever we can in order to touch the hearts and minds of others, so that through us, many more people may come to believe in the Lord, just as how the Apostles and disciples of the Lord spoke with such great passion and showed their love for God that so many turned to the Lord and became His followers. As members of the same Church of God, this is what we have been called to do, and what we should embrace wholeheartedly, following the examples set by our holy predecessors in faith.

Although the season of Easter ends with this celebration of the Pentecost, it does not mean then that everything goes back to normal and we can just continue on with our lives without any action or commitment from us to live in accordance with our Christian faith. On the contrary, all of us are called and reminded this Pentecost, as always, to be fruitful in the Holy Spirit and to make best use of all that God has given us, and to walk courageously and faithfully in His path. Pentecost as I said earlier, marked the important moment when the Church was truly born, and as such, marks a beginning rather than an end.

Pentecost marks the beginning of a new, evangelistic and missionary journey that from now onwards we should continue to live our lives to the fullest, and we should commit ourselves fully to the Lord that through us, God and His works may continue to reach even more and more people, and through us, the Holy Spirit shall come down and renew the face of the whole earth, dispelling the darkness of sin and evil, and bringing forth a new era of peace and love. May God be with us always, and may He continue to guide us, through the Holy Spirit, that we will always ever be faithful and dedicated to Him. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 May 2021 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 7 : 37-39

At that time, on the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me; and let the one who believes in Me drink, for the Scripture says : Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”

Jesus was referring to the Spirit, which those who believe in Him were to receive; the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into His glory.

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Sunday, 23 May 2021 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Romans 8 : 22-27

We know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pangs of birth. Not creation alone, but even ourselves, although the Spirit was given to us as a foretaste of what we are to receive, we groan in our innermost being, eagerly awaiting the day when God will give us full rights and rescue our bodies as well.

In hope we already have salvation. But if we saw what we hoped for, there would no longer be hope; how can you hope for what is already seen? So we hope for what we do not see and we will receive it through patient hope. We are weak, but the Spirit comes to help us. How to ask? And what shall we ask for?

We do not know, but the Spirit intercedes for us without words, as if with groans. And He Who sees inner secrets knows the desires of the Spirit, for He asks for the holy ones what is pleasing to God.

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Sunday, 23 May 2021 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 103 : 1-2a, 24 and 35c, 27-28, 29bc-30

Bless the Lord, my soul! Clothed in majesty and splendour; o Lord, my God, how great You are! You are wrapped in light as with a garment.

How varied o Lord, are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all – the earth full of Your creatures. Bless the Lord, my soul!

They all look to You for their food in due time. You give it to them, and they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are filled with good things.

You take away their breath, they expire and return to dust. When You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and the face of the earth is renewed.

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Sunday, 23 May 2021 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Genesis 11 : 1-9

The whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved from east, they found a plain in the country of Shinar where they settled. They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them in fire.” They used brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. They said also, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top reaching heaven; so that we may become a great people and not be scattered over the face of the earth!”

YHVH came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of man were building, and YHVH said, “They are one people and they have one language. If they carry this through, nothing they decide to do from now on will be impossible. Come! Let Us go down and confuse their language so that they will no longer understand each other.”

So YHVH scattered them over all the earth and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there YHVH confused the language of the whole earth and from there YHVH scattered them over the whole face of the earth.

Alternative reading

Exodus 19 : 3-8a, 16-20b

The Israelites camped there in front of the mountain, but Moses went up to God and YHVH called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you are to say and to explain to the Israelites : You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to Myself.”

“Now if you listen to Me and keep My covenant, you shall be My very own possession among all the nations. For all the earth is Mine, but you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” And He added, “This is what you are to say to the people of Israel.”

So Moses went and summoned all the elders of the people and related to them all that YHVH had commanded him to say. All the people responded with one voice, “All that YHVH has said, we will do.”

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning and a dense cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast was heard. All the people in the camp trembled. Moses then made the people leave the camp to meet God and stand at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was completely covered in smoke because YHVH had come down in fire, and the smoke rose as from a furnace. The whole mountain shook violently, while the blast of the trumpet became louder and louder. Moses spoke and God replied in thunder. When YHVH had come down to the summit of Mount Sinai, God called Moses who went to the summit.

Alternative reading

Ezekiel 37 : 1-14

The hand of YHVH was upon me. He brought me out and led me in spirit to the middle of the valley which was full of bones. He made me walk to and fro among them and I could see there was a great number of them on the ground all along the valley and that they were very dry.

YHVH said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live again?” I said, “Lord YHVH, only You know that.” He then said, “Speak on My behalf concerning these bones; say to them : Dry bones, hear the word of YHVH! YHVH says : I am going to put spirit in you and make you live. I shall put sinews on you and make flesh grow on you; I shall cover you with skin and give you My Spirit, that you may live. And you will know that I am YHVH.”

“I prophesied as I had been commanded and then there was a noise and commotion; the bones joined together. I looked and saw that they had sinews, that flesh was growing on them and that He was covering them with skin. But there was no spirit in them.”

So YHVH said to me, “Speak on My behalf and call on the Spirit, son of man! Say to the Spirit : This is the word of YHVH : Spirit, come from the four winds. Breathe into these dead bones and let them live!” I prophesied as He had commanded me and breath entered them; they came alive, standing on their feet – a great, immense army!

He then said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all Israel. They keep saying : ‘Our bones are dry, hope has gone, it is the end of us.’ So prophesy! Say to them : This is what YHVH says : I am going to open your tombs, I shall bring you out of your tombs, My people, and lead you back to the land of Israel.”

“You will know that I am YHVH, o My people! When I open your graves and bring you out of your graves, when I put My Spirit in you and you live. I shall settle you in your land and you will know that I, YHVH, have done what I said I would do.”

Alternative reading

Joel 3 : 1-5

In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on every mortal. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even upon My servants and maidens, I will pour out My Spirit on that day.

I will show wonders in the heavens, and on earth blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun will darken and the moon turn to blood, at the approach of the great and dreadful day of God.

Then all who call upon the Name of YHVH will be saved. For on Mount Zion there will be a remnant, as YHVH has said; in Jerusalem some will be saved – those whom YHVH will call.

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Saturday, 22 May 2021 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the mission that the Lord has entrusted to us, the members of His Church. Even though the season of Easter is coming to an end with the celebration of the Pentecost Sunday tomorrow, it does not mean that everything that we have celebrated throughout this Easter is coming to an end. On the contrary, Pentecost marked just the very beginning of the Church’s works and efforts that still continues even to this very day.

As we heard in our first reading today from the ending parts of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul reached the city of Rome and began the last step of his ministry in that city. He preached to the local Jewish community and also others who were interested in the Christian faith, establishing the foundation for the Church in Rome, from which also stemmed many other communities all throughout the Roman Empire. Through all of his efforts, many turned to the Lord and were reconciled to Him, and many came to believe in Him and became courageous missionaries themselves.

In our Gospel passage today we heard of the Lord’s conversation with His disciples at the Last Supper speaking about the one who would betray Him as well as St. Peter who wondered about the disciple whom the Lord loved, that is referring to St. John. At that time, there were still disagreements and so-called rivalry between the disciples, just as they had done earlier on when they argued among themselves who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, as St. John, his own mother and brother tried to also gain favour and position from the Lord by asking Him directly.

In all these we can see that first of all, the Lord called His disciples among mankind, people who were imperfect, full of human frailties, desires and shortcomings, of pride and jealousy, or any other behaviours and attitudes unbecoming of Christians, as the Apostles themselves had once exhibited. One among the Twelve betrayed the Lord and surrendered Him to the chief priests, and left their number, while St. Peter himself denied the Lord three times and with others, abandoned Him in fear when He was arrested in the Gardens of Gethsemane.

St. Paul himself was a fanatical enemy of the Church and the Christian faithful when he was young, persecuting the Church and the believers, causing untold sufferings and much pain among them. Yet, the Lord called all these to be His followers and witnesses, to be the ones to bear His truth to the people of the many nations that they had been sent to. These Apostles, like St. Paul went forth courageously and wholeheartedly, not worried about themselves but instead ever always concerned about the conversion of many and the salvation of souls.

Today we also celebrate the feast of St. Rita of Cascia, a holy and devout woman who was a dedicated wife and mother who wanted to join a convent in her early life, but forced to accept arranged marriage to a man who was bad-tempered, immoral and wicked. St. Rita of Cascia was remembered as a pious woman and faithful wife and mother despite all that she had to endure from her husband, his behaviour and temper. She endured all of his insults and abuses, as well as all of his infidelities in their marriage.

In the end, it was told that she was able to convince her husband to be a better person and at least he abandoned some of his past vices. Yet, his actions caught up to him and he was assassinated by a rival family, which led to her husband’s family vowing vengeance and expecting St. Rita of Cascia’s two sons to seek vengeance for their murdered father. Unable to persuade her sons to seek vengeance despite her repeated efforts, she prayed to God, asking that He took them away from the world rather than to have them commit a mortal sin through murder.

True enough, very soon after that, both of her sons were taken by a plague that occurred in that year. And then, having been widowed and left without family, St. Rita of Cascia finally became a religious, dedicating the rest of her life to contemplative prayer and commitment to God. It was not easy for her to do so, as the convent was afraid that her murdered husband’s family and reputation would be bad for them, and hence, St. Rita of Cascia was tasked to resolve the feuds between the families of that town, which she did with great success.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we can see here, God had called ordinary people, woman like St. Rita of Cascia, who was just an ordinary wife and mother, and yet, by her faith and commitment, she had done great deeds, leading her own husband and two sons closer to God’s grace and salvation, and helping to resolve the feud between the families of her town, among others. Through her life and example, all of us can see what it means to be a true disciple of the Lord, as a Christian.

Therefore, let us all continue to go forth proclaiming the truth of God in our lives from now on. Let us dedicate ourselves and follow the Lord wholeheartedly, as missionaries and genuine evangelisers in all of our words and actions throughout life. Let us all follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit that throughout life we will always be ever dedicated and filled with the strong desire to proclaim God’s truth in the midst of our respective communities, even when we encounter challenges and trials, opposition and persecution. Let us trust in the Lord and not be afraid for He is always by our side. May God be with us always, and bless our every good works and endeavours. Amen.

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Saturday, 22 May 2021 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 21 : 20-25

At that time, Peter looked back and saw that the disciple Jesus loved was following as well, the one who had reclined close to Jesus at the supper, and had asked Him, “Lord, who is to betray You?”

On seeing him, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until Income, does that concern you? Follow Me!” Because of this the rumour spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, “He will not die,” but, “Suppose I want him to remain until I come.”

It is this disciple who testifies about the things he has written here, and we know that his testimony is true. But Jesus did many other things; if all were written down, I think the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

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Saturday, 22 May 2021 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 10 : 4, 5 and 7

The Lord is in His holy place – our God Whose throne is in heaven. He looks down to earth to observe the race of Adam.

The Lord searches both righteous and wicked. He hates those who delight in violence, for the Lord is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face.

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Saturday, 22 May 2021 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 28 : 16-20, 30-31

Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house with the soldier who guarded him. After three days, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews.

When they had gathered, he said to them : “Brothers, though I have not done anything against our people or against the traditions of our fathers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to set me free, for they saw nothing in my case that deserved death.”

“But the Jews objected, so I was forced to appeal to Caesar without the least intention of bringing any case against my own people. Therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I bear these chains.”

Paul stayed for two whole years in a house he himself rented, where he received without any hindrance all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.