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Thank you Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for Pentecost Sunday – Year B

1st Reading from the Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-11.
Acts is the dramatic illustration of how the fire of the gospel spread throughout the Mediterranean world, the wind blown from Jerusalem to Rome, and then subsequently onwards through the centuries to wherever these words are read. The fire and mighty wind are symbols of what we shall see throughout the Acts. The powerful wind drives the story on, changing people's lives, driving Paul and Peter and the others on to the ends of the earth. The tongues of fire symbolise the speeches that make up one third of the Acts. The first speeches are to places that if you look at the map of the time form a circle round the Ancient Near East. Luke is setting out his stall for the Acts in the magnificent setting of Pentecost. Luke in his brilliant script is describing the birth of the Church, to which we have the privilege to be a part of. We truly are Blessed. We should always be thankful for the gift of that Spirit, which continues to drive us onwards.

Psalm 103: 1, 24, 29-31, 34.
The psalm is one of the loveliest in the psalter, singing the praises of God’s creation, the great wonders that his Spirit creates, and maintains. Here we share in The Spirit’s creativity.
2nd Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians 5: 16-25.
Paul sets out very clearly the choices that we have. For Paul, what really matters is belonging to Christ Jesus and sharing that crucifixion with him and accepting the Spirit, that means denying our selfish desires and passions, and adopting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self control, there is no law against any of these. If we live by the Spirit, then we must follow the Spirit. It is great exhortation to realise what is at our fingertips if we but believe in the Gospel Life as illustrated by Christ Jesus.

The Holy Gospel According to John 15: 26-27; 16: 12-15.
We are still at the Last Supper and Jesus is setting out for us a choice as to whether we belong to Jesus or the world. The Spirit is promised, who will assist us to stay in contact with the Father, and this will enable us also to bear witness to Jesus, just like the Apostles. The Spirit will open our minds to follow the Gospel life as illustrated by Jesus, and because Jesus and the Father are one we will be united in love with the Father, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God Himself.
We are a truly blessed people; let us never lose sight of that wonderful gift granted to us at Baptism and enforced at our Confirmation, namely the Holy Spirit together with all his wonderful gifts to us.
God Bless you all on this wonderful Feast. Deacon Vincent

Apart, yet together. #ChurchAtHome

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