Faith Hope and Love ep 533 - Pentecost Sunday of Easter -

Faith Hope and Love ep 533 - Pentecost Sunday of Easter  - 

Year C

June 8th 2025

Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish - Weekly Parish Mass - podcast of Eucharist, including readings, prayers, homily)

Greetings from Surfers Catholic parish!

Please find linked below the latest edition of the Parish weekly Homily and link to the (audio) podcast of the mass, especially produced for those who are unable to be with us at mass.

Faith Hope and Love ep 533  Pentecost Sunday of Easter  - Year C

FIRST READING: Acts 2:1-11
Ps 104:1+24, 29-30, 31+34. "Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth."
SECOND READING: Rom 8:8-17 (new)
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION ((no bibl. ref.)). Alleluia, alleluia! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love.
GOSPEL: John 14:15-16, 23b-26

Image Credit Shutterstock Item ID: 2100398038 - Holy Spirit religious symbol, white dove on red background - Vector Formats- Contributor: Xolopiks
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Mass, Readings, prayers, and homily), for Pentecost Sunday. Year C - by clicking this link here https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-533  (EPISODE: 533)
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The Holy Spirit makes us disciples, able to be the Warm breath of human kindness at times of terrible coldness and need.....

In the first book of the Bible, we are told that God "breathed on" us the first day he created us. "Genesis tells us that the Lord put his lips to ours and breathed in us and gave us his spirit of life. And so we became human beings. And John tells us that on the day of Pentecost, the risen Lord breathed on us a second time and gave us new life in The Spirit. Courage replaced caution and a fire was lit in our hearts that has scattered the darkness of fear forever. Those first disciples became new creations and so we are. The new life of the Spirit has been given to us so as to call us to a heroic life, —- to be instruments of God's peace and mercy in a beautiful but broken world."

The Gospel today, from Saint John, tells us about the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is clear again that these early followers were hiding behind closed doors, feeling very, very fearful. And they were not imaging the danger. They were right to expect that they would be persecuted and harmed for being followers of Christ. The coming of the Holy Spirit takes their fears away. Interestingly the Spirit does not take the danger away, but it gives us disciples boldness to do what is right and not be frightened into backing down.

At the heart of our Christian life, fear is taken away, and peace and forgiveness are given. In turn, we as instruments and living vessels of God's Spirit, - we too can dispel the fears of others and proclaim peace and forgiveness that are given to us in Jesus. Our gifts are different, each person has different gifts. We need all the gifts that each person has so that we can continue the work of Christ in our world.

How different our world looks when we begin to recognize that each person brings his or her own gifts and that we need those gifts to live in the fullness of Jesus Christ.

We KNOW the Spirit is at work in our lives especially when the love and sacrifice we show is clearly coming from a loving hand far bigger than our own lives and our own finite motives and actions when we do actions that are loving and unselfish, we are deeply aware that there is a power and a loving presence at work in us that is bigger than just ourselves. ….Transcending our limitations … and not explainable only by our own actions… but bigger, ……. And "of which are freely cooperating part…."It is God's Holy Spirit at work in and through us. At work in the world. A power of unselfish, sacrificing love and service. Unconditional love. That is at the heart of creation.As the readings this weekend tell us, we become beloved sons and daughters of God, and heirs to God's kingdom.

We have been given the freedom of the children of God. But, this freedom is given to us in order that we too can live as Christ did, being all about service, sacrifice, and self-forgetting love.

The Gospel this weekend also reminds us that the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the lives of the church will always work to remind us of all that Christ did and said, and keep us close to Christ and his values. The Holy Spirit is the "Spirit of Truth." All who live by the Spirit, strive to live authentic, honest, integrated lives built on truth.

Finally… just an interesting insight -- … we often read this text about how (after the Spirit descended) people of different languages and cultures could all hear and understand….. but what is interesting is that the text does not say that the people were not speaking the same language… In fact, they were still speaking in the language of the different cultures present. But even so, they could all understand the same message. This is a reminder that the Spirit brings not uniformity, but diversity and variety. We are all ONE in that rich diversity because the common language we speak is the language of God… and that is LOVE…

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References:

Fr Paul W. Kelly


Also quoting from the St Mary's College daily diary entry on the Holy Spirit;

MISSION 2000 – PRAYING SCRIPTURE IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY. YEAR B. BY MARK LINK S.J.;

SHARING THE WORD THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ;

MONASTERY OF CHRIST IN THE DESERT. ABBOT'S HOMILY

Image Credit Shutterstock Item ID: 2100398038 - Holy Spirit religious symbol, white dove on red background - Vector Formats- Contributor: Xolopiks


To listen to the whole Sunday Mass each week (including homily) from Surfers Paradise Catholic Parish, please visit this link: Liturgy for you at Home (by SPCP) - https:- soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

Faith Hope and Love ep 533  Pentecost Sunday of Easter  - Year C

The Lord be with you.
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{{Hi}}

My brothers and sisters, trusting in Gods mercy and love let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as the way to the Father: Lord, have mercy//You have poured out on your people the Spirit of truth: Christ, have mercy//You are the Good Shepherd, leading us to eternal life: Lord, have mercy.//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Ps 104:1+24, 29-30, 31+34. "Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION ((no bibl. ref.)). Alleluia, alleluia! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love.

Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: the Mystery of Pentecost
Eucharistic Prayer III
(pre+post variation: v2-lonjg)
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Go forth, the Mass is ended. Alleluia! Alleluia!

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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: Subscribe to mailing list to keep up-to-date

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

Come Holy Spirit" Hymn: (Dedicated to the memory of Lucyanna Marković, [1998 – 2025]) -  inspired by the words of the 9th Century Hymn by Rabanus Maurus. Music and lyrics by Paul Kelly. Arranged, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk.  Sung by Jessie M, (2025) through Fiverr, - Sound effects by Mark DiAngelo, (soundbible.com, 05.11).

"Come Holy Spirit"

[Dedicated to the memory of Lucyanna Marković (1998-2025)]

Come Holy Spirit, 

Creator, come, 

Within your kingdom, 

Make us your own 

You, the living spring, 

The living fire that sings.

sweet source of everlasting love.

He who is perfect in grace

In His true light,

Can lead and show us the way, 

And raise us high 

Guide our hearts to trust 

And with your love, embrace us 

Hold our faith and make us wise   

Keep us from fruitless spite

Bring us true peace. 

Through trials you keep us safe 

Beneath your wings   

Through Him may we know you,

Love reborn and brand new 

Hear our call and we shall sing. 

All glory to the Father 

and to the Son; 

Christ and the spirit come, 

The three in one.   

Amen….     Amen ...Amen!

—-

"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.

Microphones: - RODE-NT-USB-mini

Editing equipment: NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44

Sound Processing: iZotope RX 11 Audio Editor

[Production - KER - 2025]
May God bless and keep you.

The Ascension of the Lord. -Year C - Sunday, 1 June 2025 (EPISODE: 532)

The Ascension of the Lord. -Year C -  Sunday, 1 June 2025  (EPISODE: 532)

Readings for The Ascension of the Lord.- Year C
FIRST READING: Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9. "God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord."
SECOND READING: opt: Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:19-23 {or alternative: Ephesians 1:17-23}
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Matt 28:19a+20b). Alleluia, alleluia! Go and teach all people my Gospel. I am with you always until the end of the world.
GOSPEL: Luke 24:46-53

IMAGE:  SHUTTERSTOCK LICENSED: Asset id: 1324655747  - Chapel of Ascension in Jerusalem, Israel - Upload date: 27 February 2019. IMAGE CONTRIBUTOR: trabantos
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass (Readings, prayers and homily) for the Ascension of the Lord. Year C - Sunday, 1 June 2025 - by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-532/s-yemrsl5zztX 
(EPISODE: 532)
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The Spirit helps us to make Christ present in the midst of a world which can be way too often filled with selfishness, undue privilege, inequality, arrogance, and abuse of power or authority. Tragically, this world is capable of showing a terrible indifference towards the poor, the needy, the hungry, and the suffering. As one scripture scholar put it, the Ascension and Pentecost are feasts of Christian maturity because now we're called to continue Jesus' mission with our insight into reality, our criteria, and our human decisions.

Luke's Gospel on the Ascension has a fascinating different focus from Matthew and Mark's versions. In these two other Gospels, the disciples are sent out on mission. In Luke, yes, they're implicitly sent on mission, but they're particularly sent out in the visible absence of Christ to be witnesses of Christ in their words and actions in the world.

Our Lord's absence is not as if he's dead or gone, far from it. Rather, he's alive and he has returned to the Father where he belongs, and he will return at the end to complete all things. In the meantime, which is what we're living right now, we must be his hands, his eyes, his heart in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.

For as Acts 1 verse 7 says, the power of the Spirit is with us. We must not stand still, looking up into the sky, lamenting the physical absence of the Lord. Rather, we must not sit around waiting for his return in a passive kind of way.

Instead, we must set out on our way to take his gospel to the ends of the earth, as it says in Acts 1 verse 8. We're now adult Christians, not immature, not passive, not merely waiting for answers or tasks to fall out of the sky, but rather we are shareholders in the kingdom. We're sons and daughters of the eternal God, brothers and sisters in Christ. We have a real part to play in the action.

Before Christ's death, the disciples were like young students, being carefully nourished with a message. After Christ's death and resurrection and ascension, and with the coming of the Holy Spirit, we're still students and will always be. But we are now not merely waiting to be fed, we go out and we be nourishment for others in Christ.

The Second Vatican Council strongly emphasized this. Being mature in the faith is a requirement of the gospel, and as adults, we have our carefully thought out, reflected upon and prayed about views and insights into this shared task with Jesus. We would never presume to be sharers or cooperators with Christ, except he's invited us to do this.

We're encouraged in this by the assurance that the Lord will return, because he is alive. And we always remain vigilant, alert, awake in spirit, for at that time when he does return, he'll ask us to give an account of all the talents he's entrusted to us, and to test the fruits of what we've been able to produce with our work and our cooperation, how much it has been done in union with Christ through the Spirit. Jesus' ascension tells us, stop standing there looking up into the clouds.

There's work to be done, and there's no time like the present. In his earthly ministry, our Lord was in urgent hurry to bring his gospel and his ministry to all people. He now entrusts this ministry and this urgency to us, through his abiding presence of the Spirit.

There's no time to lose. God wants us to be about his business right away, and reassuringly he always gives us the very present assistance of God's Holy Spirit abiding in us.

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REFERENCES: 

FR. PAUL W. KELLY;

**Gutiérrez, G. and Dees, C. (1997). Sharing the Word through the liturgical year. 1st ed. Maryknoll: Orbis Books. P. 111; 

MISSION 2000 – PRAYING SCRIPTURE IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY. YEAR c. BY MARK LINK S.J; 

A BOOK OF GRACE-FILLED DAYS - 2010. BY ALICE CAMILLE)

IMAGE:  SHUTTERSTOCK LICENSED: Asset id: 1324655747  - Chapel of Ascension in Jerusalem, Israel - Upload date: 27 February 2019. IMAGE CONTRIBUTOR: trabantos

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The Ascension of the Lord.  Year C  -(Sunday, 1 June 2025)  (EPISODE: 532 )
2. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{May Our Lord's Fidelity strengthen you.}} welcome everyone, we gather -  Silence, reflection, prayer and contemplation of our God. On this The Ascension of the Lord.

Coming together as brothers and sisters, with confidence let us ask the Fathers forgiveness, for he is full of gentleness and compassion
Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of peace. Lord have mercy You are Son of God and the Son of Mary. Christ have mercy You are Word made flesh, the splendour of the Father. Lord have mercy .
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9. "God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Matt 28:19a+20b). ). Alleluia, alleluia! Go and teach all people my Gospel. I am with you always until the end of the world.
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PREFACE: Ascension I or II
Eucharistic Prayer 3
(theme variation: theme 3 )

(post version: v1-long)

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{10. thanks everyone. And may God sustain you with his grace and love.}

3. Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to the weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

Details relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria,  Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

"Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
 

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly. 

Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser. And (2024+) Rode Nt-1 + AI-1 Sound Mixer.

Editing equipment:    -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software).

NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software)

Sound Processing:  iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.)

Text transcription as per recorded podcast version is transcribed by TurboScribe.ai

{excellent and accurate transcription from voice to text}

[Production -  KER -  2025] May God bless and keep you.  

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