"Come Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire"

As we continue our Pentecost Sunday celebration, I offer this version of "Come Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire":

 

Pentecost Sunday

Today the Church celebrates Pentecost Sunday. The assigned readings for the Mass during the day are Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13; and John 20:19-23. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 104 (Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 ).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Responsorial Psalm / Pentecost / CBW#107 / Psalm 104 / Years A, B & C

The Gospel reading is as follows:

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."

Reflections related to these readings:

Community in Mission: I Have Come to Cast A Fire on the Earth - A Homily for Pentecost Sunday (23 MAY 26) 

Benedictine College: This Sunday, Jesus Christ's Last Breath Is a Driving Wind That Fills the Earth With Fire (7 MAY 26)

Word on Fire: Tongues of Fire (Cycle A * Easter * Pentecost)

The Pilot: Echoes: Scott Hahn: A mighty wind (22 MAY 26)

The Pilot: Echoes: Deacon Greg Kandra: Scripture Reflection for May 24, 2026, Pentecost Sunday (20 MAY 26)

The Quiet Corner: The Jewish Roots of Pentecost (21 MAY 26)

ThankYou, Lord

Thenak you, Lord, for the gifts bestowed on us by the Holy Spirit.

Cerith Gardiner on a Catholic Answer to Aging Healthily

"Catholics may finally have the perfect excuse to spend more time admiring cathedrals, listening to sacred music, or gazing thoughtfully at Caravaggio."

"According to a new study, engaging regularly with the arts may slow biological aging at levels comparable to physical exercise. The research, carried out by University College London and published in the journal Innovation in Aging, found that adults who regularly participated in artistic or cultural activities appeared to age more slowly biologically than those who rarely did so.

"And remarkably, the effects were not limited to painting masterpieces or performing in orchestras. ..."

In a recent commentary, writer Cerith Gardiner reflected on the resukts of this study and tied in the Church's rich artistic inheritances.

To access Ms. Gardiner's complete post, please visit:

Aleteia: Cerith Gardiner: Science finds the Catholic answer to aging healthily (16 MAY 26)

Reflection Starter frrom Pope Leo XIV

"Without the fire of the Spirit, the Church remains a prisoner of fear, timid in the face of the world's challenges, closed in on itself, and thus also incapable of entering into dialogue with changing times." - Pope Leo XIV

Billy Joel: "Root Beer Rag"

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of Billy Joel presenting "Root Beer Rag":

 

Belated Birthday Blessings, David!!!

Belated birthday greetings to cousin David Haupt, who recently celebrated his birthday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Birthday Blessings, Alan!!!

Birthday greetings to brother Alan, whose birthday is today!!! May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Birthday Blessings, Richard!!!

Birthday greetings to brother Richard, whose birthday is today!!! May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Thank You, Lord

Thank you,, Lord, for the blessings that come with rainy holiday weekends and their related plan changes.

Matthew Trovato, OSFS, on Healed People Healing People

"We have all heard the expression, 'Hurt people hurt people.' And we all recognize how true that is. Whether we witnessed it in a bully on the playground or a CEO who takes their anger out on employees, it is not hard to see that wounds, when left unattended, do not remain contained. . . . Whether we realize it or not, we tend to transmit whatever our interior state is onto those around us. Recently, on a private retreat, I was reflecting on this insight, and I realized that if this is true, then the opposite must be true as well: Healed people heal people. Just as we transmit the brokenness that we do not face onto others, we can transmit the healing that we experience to others as well."

In a recent commentary, Mr. Matthew Trovato, OSFS, reflected on some of the ways persons whohave encountered healing (especially spiritual healing) can help others open themselves up to healing.

To access Mr. Trovato's complete post, please visit:

De Sales Weekly: Salesian Reflection: Healed People Heal People (21 MAY 26)

Reflection Starter from St. Francis de Sales

"The Holy Spirit is like a fountain of living water that flows into every part of our hearts so as to spread its grace therein." - Saint Francis de Sales