Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labour, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your 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.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end. Amen.
Alleluia.

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

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Pentecost, Jean II Restout, oil on canvas, 1732

Cari Fratelli e Sorelle,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we celebrate Pentecost this year, the Gospel Reading certainly speaks volumes to us today. Here we are: our first Sunday back to Mass. Here we are: alone and scared. This, however, is not much different from the situation almost 2,000 years ago. In the Scripture Readings, we see the disciples hiding in a locked upper room: alone and scared. Here we are: in our own “upper room.” The parallels are truly striking. After all, the story does not end with the disciples hiding. So too, neither does our story end with us in fear. “Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (JN 20:19). Jesus did not abandon his followers. No, He comes to them in their “lockdown.” Just as we read that Jesus did not abandon them, we must believe that Jesus does not abandon us. He says to them, not once but twice, “Peace be with you.” This is not just a greeting but a statement to be at peace. In other words, be not afraid. Nowadays we really do not want people breathing on us or standing too close to us. But, Jesus does not distance Himself from us. He comes into our midsts, in our “lockdowns,” into our fears, and into our anxieties, and He breathes on us the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost we celebrate the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles. May the same Holy Spirit now come upon us, fill us and give us Christ’s Peace, the Peace only He can give. As we start to see the world “open up,” we are sent, like the disciples, to live as witnesses to the Life, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts and minds to follow Jesus ever more closely and to see Him in our midsts. Peace be with you. La pace sia con voi.

Phillip J. Pillin

Adjunct Professor of Theology, Walsh University
Member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica – Saint Anthony of Padua Parish
Lay Leader of Prayer, Diocese of Youngstown

Pax et Bonum

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement, they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travellers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

R. Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
the earth is full of your creatures;

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
I will be glad in the LORD.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Brothers and sisters:
No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.

A very special performance of Holy Week and Easter Sunday liturgical music by parish Music Director Craig Ziobert and Christine Langer.