Then in truth, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, for he was a priest of the Most high God; he blessed him, and he said: "Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, who created heaven and earth. And blessed be the Most high God, through whose protection the enemies are in your hands. And he gave him tithes from everything."
The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 110:1, 2, 3, 4
R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
V. The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool." (R)
V. The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion: "Rule in the midst of your enemies." (R)
V. "Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor; before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you." (R)
V. The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." (R)
Second Reading: 1Cor. 11:23-26
A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians.
Brothers and sisters:
I receive from the Lord what I have also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the same night that he was handed over, took bread, and giving thanks, he broke it, and said: Take and eat. This is my body, which shall be given up for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Similarly also, the cup, after he had eaten supper, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink in it, in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he returns.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel: Lk. 9:11B-17
The Gospel of the Lord according to Luke.
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the Kingdom of God, and those who were in need of cures, he healed. Then the day began to decline. And drawing near, the twelve said to him: "Dismiss the crowds, so that, by going into the surrounding towns and villages, they may separate and find food. For we are here in a deserted place." But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "There is with us no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we are to go and buy food for this entire multitude."
Now there were about five thousand men. So he said to his disciples, "Have them recline to eat in groups of fifty." And they did so. And they caused them all recline to eat. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish, he gazed up to heaven, and he blessed and broke and distributed them to his disciples, in order to set them before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And twelve baskets of fragments were taken up, which were left over from them.
Give praise, daughter of Zion. Shout joyfully Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD has taken away your judgment; he has turned aside your foes. The king of Israel, the LORD is in your midst; you shall no longer fear evil. In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, "Do not be afraid," and to Zion, "Do not let your hands be weakened." The LORD your God is the strength in your midst; he will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. In love, he will be silent. He will exult over you with praise. The triflers who withdrew from the law, I will gather together, because they were from you, so that you may no longer suffer disgrace over them.
The Word of the Lord.
or: Rom. 12:9-16
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans.
Brothers and sisters:
Let love be without falseness: hating evil, clinging to what is good, loving one another with fraternal charity, surpassing one another in honor: in solicitude, not lazy; in spirit, fervent; serving the LORD; in hope, rejoicing; in tribulation, enduring; in prayer, ever-willing; in the difficulties of the saints, sharing; in hospitality, attentive. Bless those who are persecuting you: bless, and do not curse. Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Weep with those who are weeping. Be of the same mind toward one another: not savoring what is exalted, but consenting in humility. Do not choose to seem wise to yourself.
The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: Is. 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6
R. (6) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
V. God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation. (R) V. Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name. (R) V. Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth. Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel! (R)
Gospel: Lk. 1:39-56
The Gospel of the Lord according to St. Luke
In those days, Mary, rising up, traveled quickly into the hill country, to a city of Judah. And she entered into the house of Zechariah, and she greeted Elizabeth. And it happened that, as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she cried out with a loud voice and said: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this concern me, so that the mother of my LORD would come to me? For behold, as the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed are you who believed, for the things that were spoken to you by the LORD shall be accomplished."
And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the LORD. And my spirit leaps for joy in God my Saviour. For he has looked with favor on the humility of his handmaid. For behold, from this time, all generations shall call me blessed. For he who is great has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
"And his mercy is from generation to generations for those who fear him. He has accomplished powerful deeds with his arm. He has scattered the arrogant in the intentions of their heart. He has deposed the powerful from their seat, and he has exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has taken up his servant Israel, mindful of his mercy, just as he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and his offspring forever." Then Mary stayed with her for about three months. And she returned to her own house.
Today is the celebration of the Feast of the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This is also called the First Sunday After Pentecost.
First Reading: Prv. 8:22-31
A reading from the Book of Proverbs
Thus says the wisdom of God:
The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything, from the beginning. I was ordained from eternity, and out of antiquity, before the earth was formed. The abyss did not yet exist and I was already conceived; neither has the fountains of waters yet erupted. The mountains, with their great mass, had not yet been established. Before the hills, I was brought forth. Still he had not made the earth, and the rivers, and the poles of the globe of the earth.
I was already present: when he prepared the heavens; when, with a certain law and a circuit, he fortified the abyss; when he made firm the sky above, and set free the mountains of waters, lest they transgress their limits; when he weighed the foundations of the earth. I was with him in composing all things. And I was delighted, throughout every day, by playing in his sight at all times, playing in globe of the earth. And my delight was to be with the sons of men.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 8: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R: O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
V: When I behold the heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place -
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him? (R)
V: You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet: (R)
V: All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. (R)
Second Reading: Rom. 5:1-5
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
Brothers and sisters:
Therefore, having been justified in faith, let us be at peace with God, through our LORD Jesus Christ. For through him we also have access by faith to this grace, in which we stand firm, and to glory, in the hope of the glory of the sons of God. And not only that, but we also find glory in tribulation exercises patience, and patience leads to proving, yet truly proving leads to hope, but hope is not unfounded, because the love of God is poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
The word of the Lord.
Gospel: Jn. 16:12-15
The Gospel of the Lord according to John.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I still have many things to say to you but you are not able to bear them now. But when the Spirit of truth has arrived, he will teach the whole truth to you. For he will not be speaking from himself. Instead, whatever he will hear, he will speak. And he will announce to you all the things that are to come. He shall glorify me. For he will receive from what is mine, and he will announce it to you. All things whatsoever that the father has are mine. For this reason, I said that he will receive from what is mine and that he will announce it to you."
The descent of the Holy Spirit among Mary and the apostles. This day also marks the end of the Easter Season and the church will now enter the Ordinary Season
First Reading: Acts 2:1-11
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
And when the days of Pentecost were completed, they were all together in the same place. And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven, like that of a wind approaching violently, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them separate tongues, as of fire, which settled upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they began to speak in various languages, just as the Holy Spirit bestowed eloquence to them.
Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, pious men from every nation that is under heaven. And when this sound occured, the multitude came together and was confused in mind, because each one was listening to them speaking in his own language.Then all were astonished, and they wondered, saying: "Behold, are not all of these Gallileans? And how is it that we have each heard them in our own language, into which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia. Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya which are around Cyrene, and new arrivals of the Romans, likewise Jews and new converts, Cretans and Arabs: we hav heard them speaking in our own languages and mighty deeds of God."
The Word of the Lord
Psalm Response: Ps.104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
R: (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.
or:
Alleluia!
V: 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)
V: 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)
V: 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)
Second Reading: 1 Cor 12:3B-7, 12-13
A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Brothers and Sisters:
No one can say "Jesus is Lord," except in the Holy Spirit.
Truly, there are diverse graces, but the same Spirit. And there are diverse ministries, but the same LORD. And there are diverse works, but the same God, who works everything in everyone. However, the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one toward what is beneficial.
For just as the body is one, and yet has many parts, so all the parts of the body, though they are many, are only one body. So also is Christ. And indeed, in one Spirit, we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether servant or free. And we all drank in the one Spirit.
The Word of the Lord.
or: Rom. 8:8-17
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
Brothers and sisters:
Those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. And you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if it is true that the Spirit of God lives within you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. But if Christ is within you, then the body is indeed dead, concerning sin, but the spirit truly lives, because of justification. But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead lives within you, then he who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also enliven your mortal bodies, by means of his Spirit living within you. Therefore brothers, we are not debtors of the flesh, so as to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if, by the Spirit, you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.
For all those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. And you have not received, again, a spirit of servitude in fear, but you have received the Spirit of the adoption of sons, in whom we cry out: Abba, Father! For the Spirit himself renders testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God. But if we are sons, then we are also heirs: certainly heirs of God, but co-heirs with Christ, yet in such a way that, if we suffer with him, we shall alsi be glorified with him.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel: Jn. 20:19-23
The Gospel of the Lord according to John (Jn. 20:19-23)
Then when it was late on the same day, on the first of the Sabbaths, and the doors were closed where the disciples were gathered, for for fear of Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and he said to them: "Peace to you."
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and side. And the disciples were gladdened when they saw the Lord.
Therefore, he said to them again: "Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
When he had said this, he breathed on them. And he said to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and those whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."
The Gospel of the Lord.
or Jn. 14:15-16, 23B-26
The Gospel of the Lord according to John.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give another Advocate to you, so that he may abide you for eternity.
"If anyone loves me, he shall keep my word. And my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and we will make our dwelling place with him. Whoever does not love me, does not keep my words. And the word that you have heard is not of me, but it is of the Father who sent me.
"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will suggest to you everything whatsoever that I have said to you."
