Mass Readings for Pentecost Year B
- First Reading – Acts 2:1-11: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 104: “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”
- Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.”
- Alternate Second Reading – Galatians 5:16-25: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
- Gospel – John 20:19-23: “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.”
- Alternate Gospel – John 15:26-27; 16:12-15: “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”
Themes for Pentecost Year B
The readings for the Pentecost Year B clearly tell us that we need to be willing to receive the Holy Spirit and then use the gifts we receive. In the first reading we hear how the Holy Spirit came to the disciples and empowered them to share the gospel with people from different nations. The second reading tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to proclaim the gospel in unity. In the gospel Jesus breathes on his followers and enables them to forgive sins.
- The Holy Spirit
- The Fruits of the Spirit
- Evangelization
- Reconciliation
See the Homilies and Reflections section and the More Thoughts section for further expansion on these readings and some reflection questions for Pentecost Year B.
Resources for Pentecost Year B
What Moves You? – Discussion and Reflection Questions
This reflection encourages youth to consider how they see the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. This is a lesson for Pentecost in particular.
Paper Toss Game (Youth Ministry or VBS Game)
This is an easy game for your youth group or Vacation Bible School. It is fun but also provides a lesson about the Holy Spirit. See the reflection questions and scripture passage at the end of the game for how to turn this game into a teaching experience or a short lesson plan.
Praise to God the Creator
This prayer is based on Psalm 104, which is one of the responsorial psalm choices for this Sunday.
The Fruits of the Spirit Song
This video is pure silliness, but the teens in your youth group will love it. It is a cross between the Muppets and Veggie Tales. 🙂 It will add some fun to any meeting focused on the Holy Spirit. This song uses the shorter list of nine fruits of the Holy Spirit given in Galatians 5:22-23.
Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit Worksheet (Cryptogram)
This Holy Spirit worksheet introduces the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. A definition of each gift or fruit is given along with the encrypted answer.
Fruit Salad Game
This is an easy no-prep circle game for youth ministry, Vacation Bible School (VBS), church camp, or religious ed. It could be used for as part of a Pentecost Year B lesson on the Fruits of the Spirit.
Homilies and Reflections for Pentecost Year B
Why Is Everyone Wearing Red?
Red represents the flame of the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost, the Church is driven by the Spirit. This fills the early Christians with power and results in the expansion of the early Church.
Walking According to the Spirit
From Bishop Robert Barron. “I’m delighted that on this Pentecost Sunday, I can reflect on one of my favorite passages in the New Testament. It is taken from the fifth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. In this passage, Paul gives those who belong to Christ their marching orders by laying out the works of the flesh—those attitudes and actions that stand against the way of love—and the works of the Spirit.”
A New Wind
From Scott Hahn. “The giving of the Spirit to the new people of God crowns the mighty acts of the Father in salvation history. We receive that Spirit in the sacraments, being made a “new creation” in Baptism. Drinking of the one Spirit in the Eucharist, we are the first fruits of a new humanity.” Continue reading.
What “Unity in Diversity” Actually Means
Also from Bishop Robert Barron for Pentecost Year B. “Friends, we come today to the marvelous feast of Pentecost, a celebration of the Holy Spirit, the Church, and evangelical preaching. Pentecost reverses the cacophonous confusion at Babel. We see various languages, cultures, and identities come into concordance under God. In the same way, we must find unity in Christ alongside our many distinctions and diversity.”
More Thoughts for Pentecost Year B
Through the Spirit, God breathes life into us. He gives us the courage to speak his message to the world. He gives us strength to be prophets. He inspires us to comfort those in need of care.
The Holy Spirit transformed the disciples from a group of people who were scared and in hiding into bold witnesses. They understood that they were not alone after all. The Father dwells within all Christians. Through the Spirit, we share in the relationship between the Father and the Son.
When we forget this, we must pray for the Spirit to be stirred up within us once again. We need to experience moments of intense realization that God dwells within us. And we must hold on to the memories of these unique experiences of the Spirit, to give us strength and courage for our mission.
Reflection Questions for Pentecost Year B
- Can I think of one or more times when I felt the Holy Spirit in a very intense way?
- How do I keep the memory of this experience alive within me?
- Which of the fruits of the Holy Spirit do I particularly need today?
Quotes and Social Media Graphics for Pentecost Year B
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23
Holy Spirit, breathe into our hearts and let us inhale the tenderness of the Father. Breathe upon the Church, so that she may spread the Gospel with joy. Breathe upon the world the fresh restoration of hope.
Pope Francis
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