WSC Reflection Guide: 6/13/2025

COME HOLY SPIRIT, RENEW OUR HEARTS AND GRANT US PEACE!

Word Sharing Circle (WSC) Reflection Guide

– Pentecost Sunday

Community Word: We celebrate the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

Theme: The Holy Spirit empowers us to use His gifts to serve for the good of all. 

Promise: “When you send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth.” (Ps 104:30) 

Reflection:

Happy Birthday to the Church; and to all of us, the people of God! 

Pentecost marks the birth of the Church, the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and transformed them into courageous, Spirit-filled witnesses of Christ. It is a day of joy and renewal for all believers, young and old, who share in this divine mission.

After His resurrection, Jesus greeted His disciples with the words, “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19b). Then He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:22b). That breath was not just symbolic; it was life-giving. It was the beginning of a new chapter not only for the apostles but for the Church and for the world. It was the specific moment that Jesus established the Sacrament of Reconciliation – “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20: 21-23).

The apostles were ordinary men – timid, unsure, and untrained. But once filled with the Holy Spirit, they went out with boldness and clarity, preaching the Gospel and baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Their mission was not easy. It came with trials, rejection, and even martyrdom. And yet, it bore fruit. We are the fruit of their faithfulness.

The Church continues today through the gift of apostolic succession and the continued presence of the Holy Spirit. With our current Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, we are reminded that the Church is alive, vibrant, and empowered by God. The same Holy Spirit who transformed the apostles is given to us. Through Baptism and Confirmation, we receive the Spirit’s gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel (right judgment), Fortitude (courage), Knowledge, Piety (reverence), and Fear of the Lord (holy awe). These are not abstract ideas; they are practical gifts meant to shape how we live, love, speak, and serve. The Holy Spirit enables us to speak a “new language,” the language of love that builds up, not tears down; that unites rather than divides; that clarifies rather than confuses.

When we welcome the Holy Spirit, our inner lives are renewed. We shed the old self, marked by selfishness or fear, and embrace the new self: someone who walks with Christ, even when the road is difficult. We begin to carry our crosses not with bitterness, but with purpose and joy. Life, of course, is filled with trials – health issues, financial concerns, family struggles, and loneliness. But the Holy Spirit equips us to face them with strength. True love always involves sacrifice. When we look at the crucified Christ, we remember that He gave everything to bring us back to the Father. Now we live for Him, and we offer ourselves, our time, and our energy, even our sufferings, as a living sacrifice. As St. Paul urges, "Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,” (Rom 12:1). This is our spiritual worship.

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus promised to send us the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who would teach us and remind us of all He had said and done. That promise is fulfilled at Pentecost and continues every day in the life of the Church and in our hearts – “When you send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104:30).

The Spirit is God's living presence in us, renewing our minds, strengthening our hearts, and giving us the courage to follow Christ every day. So, let us not be afraid. Whatever season of life we are in – whether young adults, in the midst of work and discernment, or older and rich in years and wisdom, we all have a mission. The Holy Spirit walks with us, works through us, and empowers us to love, serve, and renew the world.

Prayer:

Almighty and Loving God, in You we live and move and have our being. We praise You, like Mary in her Magnificat, and we thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, given through Jesus Christ our Lord. Come, Holy Spirit. Fill our hearts. Strengthen our faith. Help us to be bold witnesses of Your love in our daily lives. Renew in us the fire of Your love, and use us to renew the face of the earth. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. How have you experienced the Holy Spirit working in your life recently?

2. How is God calling you right now to speak the language of love and peace to those around you?

3. How are you using your gifts to serve others in your family, parish, or community?

This Week's Daily Mass Reading Guide:

June 8, 2025 (Sun) – Acts 2:14-11/ Ps 104:1, 24, 29, 30/ 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12, 13/ Jn 20:19-23

June 9, 2025 (Mon) – Gn 3:9-15. 20/ Ps 87:1-2, 3, 5, 6-7/ Jn 19:25-34

June 10, 2025 (Tue) – 2 Cor 1:18-22/ Ps 119:129, 130-133, 135/ Mt 5:13-16

June 11, 2025 (Wed) – 2 Cor 3:4-11/ Ps 99:5-9/ Mt 5:17-19

June 12, 2025 (Thu) – Is 6:1-4, 8/ Ps 23:2-3, 5, 6/ Jn 17:1-2, 9, 14-26

June 13, 2025 (Fri) – 2 Cor 4:7-15/ Ps 116:1-18/ Mt 5:27-32

June 14, 2025 (Sat) – 2 Cor 5:14-21/ Ps 103:1-4, 9, 12/ Mt 5:33-37

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!” 

Council of Servant Leaders

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Alfred S. Kudemus

CSL Secretariat

BLD Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16