“There appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.”
Today the Church remembers the moment when the very breath of God rushed from the mouth of the risen Jesus, filling the disciples with the Holy Spirit. Today’s readings bring us to the culmination of the great fifty-day celebration of Easter with images of strong driving winds and tongues of fire. We cry out to God in today’s psalm, “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth!” During these fifty days, we have baptized, confirmed, and shared the Eucharist with the newly initiated. We have spent these days savoring the meaning of the sacramental life. In these sacramental moments, the Church is reborn. In this moment of Pentecost, we are reborn. We are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we, like the disciples, can be sent forth to be Christ for the world. Let us be open and vulnerable to the driving winds and tongues of flame that can signal a new Pentecost. Let God’s word once again bring us the power to renew the face of the earth.
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Last week we heard that after the Ascension, the disciples, Mary, and other followers of the Lord withdrew to the upper room where they persevered unanimously in prayer. This week we hear that, while they were in prayer there, the Holy Spirit came upon them. The promise of Jesus, after his Resurrection which today’s Gospel recounts, is fulfilled: the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon the followers of Jesus. Saint Paul tells us that all of us, in some way, are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, gifts that can be used to proclaim the Good News. Today is one of the greatest feasts of the Church. Let us carry with us the refrain of the responsorial psalm: “Send your Spirit, Lord, and renew the face of the earth!” (Psalm 104:30).
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Week of May 17, 2026 — Week 46
May 24, 2026
May 31, 2026
First Reading — Filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles begin to speak in tongues (Acts 2:1–11).
Psalm — Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth (Psalm 104).
Second Reading — In one Spirit we are baptized into one body and given to drink of one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3b–7, 12–13).
Gospel — Jesus Christ appears to the disciples and sends them on their mission with the power to forgive or retain sins through the Holy Spirit (John 20:19–23).
I taught in a Catholic high school for a few years, and the seniors in my class would often talk with me about their dreams for the future: the college they wanted to be accepted into (or had been accepted into), their careers, and how they envisioned their role in the world. I soon realized that much of their energy was spent in comparing themselves with their peers and the emotions that came with that. It became a common theme of my response to them to refer to today’s second reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. With them, it was a metaphorical house being built. Could we hire an electrician and expect them to build the whole house? What would such a house look like? Perhaps we need a plumber? Oh, and how about a roofer? Maybe a woodworker for the floors? And so, the student would eventually come to the understanding that we are each given a particular gift toward the building of the whole. The kin-dom of God is not complete without the unique gift that each of us is given and expected to use to further its building.
The pomp and circumstance with which the Holy Spirit arrives and rests on the apostles in the room indicates the presence of an authority that is beyond human comprehension. The presence of God, the Holy Spirit is sometimes like a roar that encompasses the earth, and at other times, it is like a gentle whisper, just a breath. Sometimes, the gentle breath is more powerful in moving the mountains of human sinfulness. The gentle love of God renews us to become more fully the persons that we are created to be—for ourselves, for other persons, for creation. Recognizing that we each have particular roles in the kin-dom of God allows us to be gentler with each other, like the gentle breath of God that gives us a second chance at trying to live out our gifts well.
Excerpted from Living the Word
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Parishioners
Agustin Fernandez, Ray Neiner, Gordon McKay, Angelia Collins, Joe Walsh, John Rawe, Darey Galindo, Susan & David Brindle, Jan Knox, Alice White, Mike Hull, Chris Rupp, Gina Rupp, Peggy Turvey, Valerie Villafane, Jim Davis, Zippy Ribeiro, Mary Childress, Patricia Davis, Ian Roncskevitz, Diana Pomatto, Adriana Stoltz, Elaine Johnson, John Lademan, Nan Leonard, Kansas Veron, Lynda Skillington, Howard & Joan Eddins, Mike Saites, Julia Schklar, Harry Brandon, Dorothy Walsh
Family & Friends
Parents of Stephen Wilson: Richard & Francis Wilson
Daughter of John & Miriam Lademan: Elizabeth Lademan
Family & friend of Fr. Regi: Augustine & Aleykutty, Anaa Paul, Thomas Matthew, Dr. Josh Taylor
Family of Enid Fernandez: Frank Salinsky
Friend of Theresa Bailey: Billy Davis
Family of Remie Yumul: Candy Yumul
Friend of Katie Viazcan: Ruby Hardemon
Family of Jan Knox: Sydney, Emma & Rob Cribley
Family of Chit Hernando: Lucena Balino, Julie Dawson
Family of Ally Saites: Ben Mills, Mae Gardner-Mills
Family of Don & Betty Barker: Richard Lakvold
Family & Friend of Paula Lykins: Bill & Sue Aufermann, Sandra Wilson, Lisa & Roger Ellis
Friends of Angelia Collins: Alissa Joslin, Nia Greer & C. Davenport
Cole Family & Friends: Joy Kilpatrick, Gina Wiser, Cody Murdock, Bryce Haney
McKay Family & Friends: Lisa Cross, Gwen Gillium, Dwayne Adams, Michael McGuire, Richard Curtis, John & Peggy Pitcher, Emily Ross, Stacey Cothran, Jessica Stinnett, John Walker
Family & friends of Joe & Kim Stoltz: Todd Cashion, Liz Mealer, Anna Lassiter, Mike Hinson, Rebecca Russell, Jeff Cooper, Jessie Vasquez
Friends of Nan Leonard: Infant Thomas Lee Tice, Rhonda Ray, Geary & Elizabeth Land
Family & Friends of Lisa Jackson: Louisa, Wade, Lauri Hadley, Lois Conroy, Wade Wix, Kim Holder, Ben McCaslin, Bailey Allen, Evelyn Jefferson
Family & friends of Pat & Brenda Davis: Ryan & Alexandria Volk, Betsy Fox, Joseph Family, Mary Joyce Alms, Brent Davis, Larry Meyer
Family & Friends of the Eddins: Justin Jones, Mitzi Mangrum-Braun, Johnny Harrison, Terry Ring, Bill & Tony Eddins, Betsy & Mel Lane
Family of the Dearmans: Diana Hardey, Margaret Strobel, Sue Gossage, Linda, Terri & Mark Langdon, Bill Wiseman
Friends of Sandra Hull: Amanda & Mickey Adcox, John & Kayla Doble, Donald, Mason & Lorron Hobby, Tammy & Paul Hicks
Brother-in-law of Patty Beckman: Marvin Beckman
Friend of Mary Holton: Brad Burrow
We, the members of Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church, recognize and respect our diverse and multicultural character. By the grace of God, we will nurture our spiritual community through prayer, service, and example to become one family in Christ.