June 04, 2017 Pentecost Sunday 1st Reading: Acts 2:1–11 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 12:3b–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)
Jews are mandated by Leviticus 23:15-16 to count fifty days from the Feast of Passover and celebrate Shavu-oth in thanksgiving for the Ten Commandments. 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 on that night, forcing him to allow the chosen people to leave Egypt. Shavu-oth happened around the time of spring harvest, so it was really a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving to the Lord. They had lots of wheat to offer. Foremost of the things they thanked God for was the gift of the Ten Commandments. The conscious counting of 50 days from Passover to Shavu-oth was the Jews’ way of consciously opening themselves up to the Commandments of God.
While Judaism celebrates “Shavu-oth” 50 days after Passover, Christianity celebrates “Pentecost” (Greek term for 50th). As the 50-day counting of the Jews showed openness to the Commandments, our Pentecost celebration is our grand celebration of our opening up to the Holy Spirit. The coming down of the Holy Spirit will be brought to naught if our hearts are closed. In his letter to the Galatians St. Paul gives this warning: “If you are guided by the Spirit, you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgences” (Galatians 5:13, ff.). Those who do not open up to the Holy Spirit will be guided by their own selfishness.
When selfishness reigns, the results are fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility, jealousy, bad temper, quarrels, envy drunkenness and orgies. All these drive away the Holy Spirit from us. Let us purge ourselves of these spiritual viruses by approaching the sacrament of forgiveness, for that grace to remain open to the Holy Spirit. Once forgiven through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Holy Spirit will stand as guard protecting us from the power of darkness. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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