God's love has been poured into our hearts by his Spirit who dwells in us, hallelujah (Rm 5,5; cf. 8,11).

On this eve of Pentecost, we are invited to welcome the great gift of the Spirit. May he, who comes to the aid of our weakness and gathers together what is scattered, ignite in us the love and joy of being God's beloved assembly.

First Reading: Genesis 11:1-9

The Word of God generates and renews in us the fruits of the Spirit, so that we can overcome divisions and quench our thirst for life and fullness.

Reading from the book of Genesis – 1The whole earth had one language and used the same words. 2And it came to pass, that, going from the east, the men found a plain in the land of Shenaar, and settled there. 3And they said to one another, “Come on, let us make bricks and bake them in the fire.” They used bricks instead of stone, and bitumen instead of mortar. 4And they said, “Come, let us make ourselves a city and a tower whose top reaches to heaven. This way, we will become famous and will not be scattered across the face of the earth.” 5Then the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people and speak one language. And this is just the beginning of your endeavors. Now, nothing will stop them from doing what they set out to do. 7Let us go down and confuse their language, so that they cannot understand one another.” 8And the Lord scattered them from that place over all the surface of the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9That is why it was called Babel, because it was there that the Lord confused the language of the whole world and then scattered people throughout the earth. - Word of the Lord.

Optional readings: Exodus 19.3-8a.16-20b; Ezekiel 37,1-14; Joel 3:1-5.

Responsorial Psalm: 103(104)

Send your Spirit, Lord, / and renew the whole face of the earth.

1. Bless the Lord, O my soul! / O my God and my Lord, how great you are! / You clothe yourselves with majesty and splendor / and you wrap yourselves with light as in a cloak. – R.

2. How numerous, O Lord, are your works, / and what wisdom in them all! / The earth was filled with your creatures. / Bless, O my soul, the Lord! – R.

3. All of them, O Lord, wait for you / that you will give them food in due time; / you give them something to eat and they take it, / you open your hand and they are satisfied. – R.

4. If you take away their breath, they perish / and return to the dust from which they came; / you send your spirit and are reborn, / and the whole face of the earth you renew. – R.

Second Reading: Romans 8:22-27

Reading of Saint Paul's letter to the Romans – Brothers, 22we know that all creation, up to the present time, is groaning as if in labor pains. 23And not only she, but we also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, are inwardly groaning, waiting for filial adoption and release into our bodies. 24For we have been saved, but in hope. Now, the object of hope is not what we are seeing; How can anyone expect what they already see? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, it is because we are waiting for it through perseverance. 26The Spirit also comes to help us in our weakness. For we do not know what to ask nor how to ask; it is the Spirit himself who intercedes on our behalf with ineffable groans. 27And he who penetrates the depths of the heart knows what the intention of the Spirit is. For it is always according to God that the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints. - Word of the Lord.

Gospel: John 7,37-39

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Come, divine Spirit, and fill the hearts of the faithful with your gifts; / and kindle love in them, like a blazing fire! – R.

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John – 37On the last day of the feast, the most solemn day, Jesus, standing, proclaimed in a loud voice: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will gush out from within him.” 39Jesus spoke of the Spirit, which those who had faith in him should receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

Clues for reflection

I reading: While God, through his Son, descends to coexist with humanity, human beings harbor the intention of reaching heaven. When pride and arrogance dismiss the God of life, confusion and violence take over society. What prevents communication and understanding is not the diversity of languages ​​and cultures, but arrogance, which transforms diversity into discrimination and barriers. The tower is a symbol of idolatry and rebellion against the Creator, who wants all peoples to be united.

II reading: The work of creation will groan and suffer until there is liberation from everything that prevents life in its fullness. Nature increasingly groans in the face of the degradation that human beings impose on it. By destroying it, he also suffers the consequences. The Spirit, in turn, comes to help our weakness, so that we can value all the work of the Creator.