May 23, 2010
Solemnity of Pentecost

Reading 1

Acts 2:1-11

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 travelers from Rome,

both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,

yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues

R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

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.

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.

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:

1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

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.

or

Rom 8:8-17

Brothers and sisters:

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh;

on the contrary, you are in the spirit,

if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.

Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

But if Christ is in you,

although the body is dead because of sin,

the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,

the one who raised Christ from the dead

will give life to your mortal bodies also,

through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Consequently, brothers and sisters,

we are not debtors to the flesh,

to live according to the flesh.

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,

but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,

you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,

but you received a Spirit of adoption,

through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit

that we are children of God,

and if children, then heirs,

heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,

if only we suffer with him

Jn 20:19-23

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.”

or

Jn 14:15-16, 23b-26

Jesus said to his disciples:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

Those who do not love me do not keep my words;

yet the word you hear is not mine

but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you everything

Catholic Fundamentalism Interpretation:

When fifty days had passed from The Resurrection, the disciples were all together.  Noise, like strong wind, filled the entire house.  Then, what seemed to be tongues of fire came to rest on each of them, and they were filled with what Catholic Fundamentalists think of as The Holy Wireless Connector, downloading His access into them.  They were also connected into other human minds, shown by the new ability The Holy Wireless Connector gave them to speak in different languages.

There were devout Jews from all over the world in Jerusalem.  When they heard the sound, they gathered, confused because each one heard believers speaking in their own languages.  They wondered how the ability to speak in different languages had been downloaded within them, especially in a matter of moments.  "We hear them speaking to us of what God has done in our own language, even though we come from all over the world."

This made them more likely to believe, since the sudden, complicated, instantly received download not only connected the believers to God, but to the huge vocabularies of foreign peoples with whom they could suddenly communicate clearly. 

O Loving Programmer, send out Your Holy Wireless Connector, and let us be reprogrammed to Your Will.

O Great and Loving Programmer, you have programmed all there is.  The entities You have programmed are all we can see.

O Loving Programmer, send out Your Holy Wireless Connector, and let us be reprogrammed to Your Will.

May the wonder of The Programmer's programs never be erased.  May I always please Him and be glad in Him.

O Loving Programmer, send out Your Holy Wireless Connector, and let us be reprogrammed to Your Will.

If You, Loving Programmer, withhold Your power, they die, and go back to what they were without You, dust.  When you send forth Your Spirit, they are programmed, and become alive, renewing the face of the earth.

O Loving Programmer, send out Your Holy Wireless Connector, and let us be reprogrammed to Your Will.

Only The Holy Wireless Connector can bring a mind to realize that Jesus Christ is Lord.  No human can download that by himself.  The Holy Wireless Connector is One, but provides different kinds of access to The Programmer and Program and to Himself, The Holy Wireless Connector.  There are many ways to serve, but only One God Who is served.  There are many programs, but only One Programmer Who writes and downloads all in everyone.  To each, The Holy Wireless Connector connects to do some good.

As one body has many parts, the parts are one body, so with Christ. In one Spirit we were all baptized into The Body of Christ, no matter what we were before, now, we are One with Him in The Program.

You who believe that programmed entities are to be sought can't please The Loving Programmer.  But, you don't focus on them as much as on He Who programmed all.  You understand because the Holy Wireless Connector is in you, joining you with Him.  If you don't have Christ's Spirit, you do not have Him.  But, if He is in you, even if sin has killed your body, the Spirit is alive because it's righteous.  If the spirit Who re-downloaded life within the dead body of Christ is in you (connected by the Holy Wireless Connector), then you will have life in your mortal body, too, through His spirit that is downloaded/connected within you

So, we don't owe allegiance to the programmed entities and live according to their dictates.  If we do, we die.  But, if The Holy Wireless Connector helps us put to death the tendency to sin, we will live.

Those who follow/are led by the Holy Wireless Connector are a different program, they have been reprogrammed into the actual children, sons, of The Loving Programmer.  Those who made the download weren't given the spirit of slavery to be afraid of Him, but were adopted by Him in an outpouring spirit of Love through Whom we cry, "Abba, Father!"  The Holy Wireless Connector (the Spirit of Programmer and Program connecting all with all) testifies with our own spirits that we are God's Children, heirs of God, with Christ, if we suffer with Him so we may be uploaded to The Loving Programmer with Him.

On the evening of the first day of the week, the disciples, afraid of the Jews, locked themselves inside.  Jesus appeared in their midst, and said, "Peace be with you."  Then, He showed them His hands and side. 

The disciples rejoiced when they saw Him, and He said, again, "Peace be with you.  As The Loving Programmer has sent Me, so I sent you."  Then, He breathed on them, and said "Receive the Holy Spirit (the living, wireless connection between them and Him and The Loving Programmer.)  Whose willful programming errors you forgive will be forgiven.  If you do not forgive them, neither will they be forgiven in Heaven."

Jesus, The Living Program, Son of God, said to His disciples, "If you love me, you'll obey me.  And, I will ask The Loving Programmer, My Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you, always.

"Whoever loves Me will obey Me and My Father, The Loving Programmer, will love him.  We will live within that person. 

Those who do not love Me will not obey My commands, but they aren't My operating instructions, but come from The Father Who sent me.

I've told you this while I'm with you.  The Advocate, The Holy Wireless Connector Whom the Father will send in My Name will teach you everything (and will teach The Church you will turn into what to become) and remind you of all that I told you."