2026 Cycle A - Pentecost
Readings
PentecostVigil: Gen 11:1-9 or Exod 19:3-8a, 16-20b or Ezek 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5; Ps 104:1-2, 24, 27-28, 29b-30, 35; Rom 8:22-27; John 7:37-39
Extended Vigil: Gen 11:1-9; Exod 19:3-8a, 16-20b; Ezek 37:1-14; Joel 3:1-5; Ps 104:1-2, 24, 27-28, 29b-30, 35; Rom 8:22-27; John 7:37-39
Day: Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23
Homily Theme
Holy Spirit Power
Today is the Birthday of the Church when the Holy Spirit descended upon many Races, who then became one Church by its Power. Jesus promised that He would remain with that one Church until the end of the world and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Holy Spirit Power is in each of the Seven Sacraments of the Church, the first of which is Baptism. Jesus commanded his Apostles to go and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We all become members of the Church at our Baptism but we are strengthened with more Power at our Confirmation when we all receive our special gifts of the Spirit. Holy Spirit Power cleanses us from sin when we receive absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Today’s Gospel
Jesus comes to us in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in which He is truly present Body, Blood, soul and Divinity, but only when consecrated by a priest who has received the Sacrament of Holy Orders by the laying on of hands of a bishop who is a successor to the Apostles. Only validly ordained priests, by a valid Sacrament of Holy Orders can bring down the Holy Spirit Power on the bread and wine to make this happen at every Mass.
The Power of the Holy Spirit is present in the Sacrament of Matrimony when a man and a woman declare vows before the Church to remain faithful to each other until death do they part. What God has joined together let no man put asunder.
Holy Spirit Power is in the Sacrament of Extreme Unction as a Sacrament, to either heal the sick, or to strengthen and comfort the dying.
Jesus let the crowd leave Him when they could not accept His teaching on the Holy Eucharist. But He told them then, and still tells us today, “Unless you eat my body and drink my blood you cannot have my life.” We don’t tell Jesus how we will serve Him when He has already told us how He wants to be worshipped. This is refusing to receive not only Him in the Eucharist but also rejecting the Holy Spirit Power to make it happen. Many ex Catholics have chosen more popular ways of church membership where they seek warm fuzzy feelings instead of Christ Himself in the Holy Eucharist. Let us pray for them to come Home to receive and to celebrate real Holy Spirit Power and become one with the one True Church again. The only sin that will not be forgiven is the sin against the Holy Spirit. Don’t waste this Power.
Today we celebrate the Holy Spirit the third Person of the Holy Trinity.