Pentecost Sunday

May 15, 2016 Pentecost Sunday

1stReading: Acts 2:1–11 2ndReading: 1 Cor 12:3–7, 12–13 Gospel: Jn 20:19–23

On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews, but Jesus came and stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace be with you”; then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and were full of joy.

Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” After saying this he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)

Pentecost comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth”. In the Old Testament times it was called the Feast of Weeks since it occurred after a week of weeks (seven sets of seven days) after the great Passover Feast. Passover is the Jewish commemoration of the day the angel of death “passed over” their doors marked with the blood of the lamb and spared the lives of their first born. The first born of Pharaoh was killed that night, forcing him to permit the chosen people to leave Egypt. On the Feast of Passover, the Jews also commemorated the promulgation of the Law on Mount Sinai.

In the New Testament times, Pentecost took a new significance as a celebration of the completion of Christ’s work marked by the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, which gave birth to the Church. Likewise it became the commemoration of the promulgation of the New Law of Love that summarizes the Law given at Sinai.

With the gift of the Holy Spirit came the gift of the power to forgive. Jesus told the Apostles: “Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.” This established a peculiar link between forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. Being forgiven, in fact, is the first effect of one who has received the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today the power to forgive sins is exercised by the priests at the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The close link between the Holy Spirit and forgiveness is maintained because only those who are open to the enlightenment by the Holy Spirit see in this Sacrament the eternal source of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Those who are not open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance wallow in fornication, gross indecency, sexual irresponsibility, jealousy, bad temper, quarrels, disagreements, envy, drunkenness and orgies. All these disarm the Holy Spirit of his power over the person.
– (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email:[email protected].

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