Pentecost Vigil
May 22, 2021
Fr. John Colacino C.PP.S.

Opening Hymn

 

Alleluia.  Veni, Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.  Alleluia.

Alleluia.  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.  Alleluia.

Invitation

My dear friends, we have begun our vigil of Pentecost following the example of the apostles and disciples who, together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, persevered in prayer, while they awaited the coming of the Spirit whom the Lord had promised.  Let us listen now, with peaceful and attentive hearts, to the proclamation of the word of God.  Let us meditate on all the great and wondrous deeds which the Lord God has done for his people; and let us pray that the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sent as his first gift to those who believe, may complete his work in the world and accomplish the sanctification of all.

Collect

Almighty ever-living God,
who willed the Paschal Mystery
to be encompassed as a sign in fifty days,
grant that from out of the scattered nations
the confusion of many tongues
may be gathered by heavenly grace
into one great confession of your name.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. R/. Amen.

Liturgy of the Word (Each reading is followed by a responsorial psalm and collect).

First Reading Genesis 11:1-9

A reading from the Book of Genesis.

The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words. While the people were migrating in the east, they came upon a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, “Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.” They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar.

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.”

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built. Then the Lord said: “If now, while they are one people, all speaking the same language, they have started to do this, nothing will later stop them from doing whatever they presume to do. Let us then go down there and confuse their language, so that one will not understand what another says.” Thus the Lord scattered them from there all over the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the speech of all the world. It was from that place that he scattered them all over the earth.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm I PSALM 33:10-11, 12-13, 14-15



Collect

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that your Church may always remain that holy people,
formed as one by the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
which manifests to the world
the Sacrament of your holiness and unity
and leads it to the perfection of your charity.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Second Reading (Exodus 19:3–8a, 16–20b)

A reading from the Book of Exodus.

Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the Lord called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.” So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people. When he set before them all that the Lord had ordered him to tell them, the people all answered together, “Everything the Lord has said, we will do.”

On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking, and God answering him with thunder.

When the Lord came down to the top of Mount Sinai, he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm II  DANIEL 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R/. Glory and praise forever!

"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
and blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages."

"Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever."

"Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."

"Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever."

"Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever."  

Collect

O God, who in fire and lightning
gave the ancient Law to Moses on Mount Sinai
and on this day manifested the new covenant
in the fire of the Spirit,
grant, we pray,
that we may always be aflame with that same Spirit
whom you wondrously poured out on your Apostles,
and that the new Israel,
gathered from every people,
may receive with rejoicing
the eternal commandment of your love.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Third Reading (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

A reading from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel.

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he led me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me in the center of the plain, which was now filled with bones. He made me walk among the bones in every direction so that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain. How dry they were! He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come to life? I answered, “Lord God, you alone know that.” Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life. I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put spirit in you so that you may come to life and know that I am the Lord. I, Ezekiel, prophesied as I had been told, and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise; it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone. I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them, and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them. Then the Lord said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord God: From the four winds come, O spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life. I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them; they came alive and stood upright, a vast army. Then he said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They have been saying, “Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off.” Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the Lord. I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm III PSALM 107:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

 

Collect

May your people exult for ever, O God,
in renewed youthfulness of spirit,
so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption,
we may look forward in confident hope
to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection.
Through Christ Our Lord.
R. Amen.

Fourth Reading (Joel 3:1-5)

A reading from the Book of the prophet Joel.

Thus says the Lord:

I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.

Your sons and daughters shall prophesy,

  your old men shall dream dreams,

  your young men shall see visions;

even upon the servants and the handmaids,

  in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

And I will work wonders in the heavens and on the earth,

  blood, fire, and columns of smoke;

the sun will be turned to darkness,

  and the moon to blood,

at the coming of the day of the Lord,

  the great and terrible day.

Then everyone shall be rescued

  who calls on the name of the Lord;

for on Mount Zion there shall be a remnant,

  as the Lord has said,

and in Jerusalem survivors

  whom the Lord shall call.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm IV PSALM 104:1-2, 24 AND 35, 27-28, 29-30

 

Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Bless the LORD, my soul!
LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and splendor,
robed in light as with a cloak.

How varied are your works, LORD!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Bless the LORD, my soul! Hallelujah!

All of these look to you
to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather;
when you open your hand, they are well filled.

Take away their breath, they perish
and return to the dust.
Send forth your spirit, they are created
and you renew the face of the earth.
 

Collect

Fulfill for us your gracious promise,
O Lord, we pray, so that by his coming
the Holy Spirit may make us witnesses before the world
to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

Epistle (Romans 8:22-27)

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

Brothers and sisters: We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.

The Word of the Lord.

Verse Before the Gospel

 

Gospel (John 7:37-39)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. As Scripture says: Rivers of living water will flow from within him who believes in me.” He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. There was, of course, no Spirit yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Commemoration of Confirmation

Brothers and sisters, the holy night of Easter we renewed our baptismal promises. In this vigil of Pentecost, by which we are led to rediscover the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the church, let us remember the sacrament of Confirmation, praying for a renewed spiritual anointing that we may we grow in zeal for communion and mission.

(Candles may be lit as at the Easter Vigil).

Uncreated Spirit, primordial force of the universe,

sanctifying power of the church, revive in us the gifts of Baptism and Confirmation.  R/.  Come, Holy Spirit

Spirit of life, breath of love, strength flowing forth from the cross,

reinvigorate in the hearts of your faithful the commitment to live as a chosen race,

a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart by God. R/.  Come, Holy Spirit

Spirit of the Father and of the Son, descended on the Virgin,

and given to the apostles, animate and make the church fruitful with your seven holy gifts.  R/.  Come, Holy Spirit.

Hymn (Taize’)

Come, Holy Spirit, from heaven shine forth with your glorious light. Veni Sancte Spiritus!

Come, Father of the poor, come, generous Spirit, come, light of our hearts. Veni Sancte Spiritus!

Come from the four winds, O Spirit, come breath of God; disperse the shadows over us, renew and
strengthen your people. Veni Sancte Spiritus!

Most kindly warming light! Enter the inmost depths of our hearts,
for we are faithful to you.
Without your presence we have nothing worthy, nothing pure. Veni Sancte Spiritus!

You are the only comforter, Peace of the soul.
In the heat you shade us; in our labour you refresh us, and in trouble you are our strength. Veni Sancte Spiritus!

On all who put their trust in you and receive you in faith, shower all your gifts.
Grant that they may grow in you and persevere to the end.
Give them lasting joy! Veni Sancte Spiritus!

Intercessions

Let us now unite in prayer, as the disciples did on the first Pentecost, and open ourselves to receive the very same Holy Spirit.

For the whole church, groaning in labor pains as she longs for the coming of the Holy Spirit, that this divine Paraclete may respond to our yearning with the gift of holy fire.

That all creatures and all the world may be filled with peace and all good things as the Lord opens His hand and sends out His Spirit.

That the Spirit may come to the aid of our weakness, interceding for us in our prayer according to God’s loving will.

That our faith in Jesus may be strong so that living water may flow from within us, refreshing and renewing everyone we meet.

For all who have asked our prayers and all who are in need of loving intercession, that the Spirit may be poured upon them in grace and joy.

For our beloved departed ones, who possessed the first fruits of the Spirit in this life of hope and struggle, that they may now be rejoicing in the Spirit amid the bliss of heaven.

And now let us pray in the Spirit of adoption as Christ the Lord taught us.... Our Father

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that the splendor of your glory
may shine forth upon us
and that, by the bright rays of the Holy Spirit,
the light of your light may confirm the hearts
of those born again by your grace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. R/. Amen.

Solemn Blessing

May God, the Father of lights,
who was pleased to enlighten the disciples' minds
by the outpouring of the Spirit, the Paraclete,
grant you (us) gladness by his blessing
and make you (us) always abound with the gifts of the same Spirit.  R/. Amen.

May the wondrous flame that appeared above the disciples,
powerfully cleanse your (our) hearts from every evil
and pervade them with its purifying light. R/. Amen.

And may God, who has been pleased to unite many tongues
in the profession of one faith,
give you (us) perseverence in that same faith
and, by believing, may you (we) journey from hope to clear vision. R/. Amen.

Closing Hymn (John Michael Talbot)

Revive us now with the fire of the Spirit.

Revive us now with the fire of the Spirit of God.

We are like dry bones with no flesh, heart or spirit.

Breathe Your life on us - raise us up again.

Revive us. Revive us now with the fire of the Spirit. Revive us now with the fire of the Spirit of God.

We are tired and older and the law it did not save us. 

Set our hearts on fire we will be forever young.

Revive us now. Revive us now.Revive us now. (Repeat)

Revive us now with the fire of the Spirit. Revive us now with the fire of the Spirit of God.

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