Mass Readings - Sunday, 31st May 2020

FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles    2:1-11
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak.

When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room,
when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from
heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were
sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues
of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of
them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak
foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.
Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation
under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one
bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They
were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men
speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears
them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites;
people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and
Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round
Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome- Jews and proselytes alike-
Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language
about the marvels of God.’

The Word of the Lord.



Responsorial Psalm    Ps 103

Response:  Send forth your Spirit, O Lord,
and renew the face of the earth.

1. Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord God, how great you are,
How many are your works, 0 Lord!
The earth is full of your riches.

2. You take back your spirit, they die,
returning to the dust from which they came.
You send forth your spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the earth.

3. May the glory of the Lord last for ever!
May the Lord rejoice in his works!
May my thoughts be pleasing to him.
I find my joy in the Lord.



SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Romans    8:8-17
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God .

People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be
pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual,
but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you.
In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong
to him. Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if
Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been
justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to
your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our
unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way,
you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the
misdeeds of the body you will live.
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received
is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the
spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself
and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if
we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with
Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.

The Word of the Lord.



SEQUENCE

Holy Spirit, Lord of light,
From the clear celestial height
Thy pure beaming radiance give.
Come, thou Father of the poor,
Come with treasures which endure;
Come, thou light of all that live!
Thou, of all consolers best,
Thou, the soul’s delightful guest,
Dost refreshing peace bestow;
Thou in toil art comfort sweet;
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
Light immortal, light divine,
Visit thou these hearts of thine,
And our inmost being fill:
If thou take thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay;
All his good is turned to ill.
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.
Thou, on us who evermore
Thee confess and thee adore,
With thy sevenfold gifts descend:
Give us comfort when we die;
Give us life with thee on high;
Give us joys that never end.



Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love
Alleluia!



GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John    14:15-16, 23-26
The Holy Spirit will teach you everything.

Jesus said to his disciples
‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever,
‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
And my word is not my own:
it is the word of the one who sent me.
‘I have said these things to you
while still with you;
but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.