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Today's Readings
Reading I
Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one
place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a
strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they
were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted
and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the
Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews
from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound,
they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each
one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded,
and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are
speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native
language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and
Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as
travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and
Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty
acts of God.”
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the
earth. or: R. Alleluia. 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. Lord, send out your
Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. or: R. Alleluia.
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. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
or: R. Alleluia. 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. Lord,
send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. or: R.
Alleluia.
Reading II
1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13
Brothers and sisters: No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the
Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the
same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God who produces all of
them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit. As a body is one though it has many
parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so
also Christ. 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.
Gospel
Jn 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were
locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When
he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The
disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And
when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
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Saints Nereus and Archilleus,
Saint Pancras
May 12
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Saints Nereus and Achilles
Died c. 100. According to Pope Saint Damasus, Nereus and Achilles were
soldiers in the praetorian guard, who became Christians--baptized by Saint
Peter, it is said--and decided that they must give up fighting. They
escaped from the guard, but were discovered and sent into exile first to
the island of Pontia with Saint Flavia Domitilla and then to Terracina.
There in the reign of Emperor Trajan both saints were beheaded. Their
unreliable Acta, however, state that they were servants in the household
of Flavia Domitilla and were exiled with her.
The vault in which these martyrs were buried later became the cemetery of
Domitilla, situated on the Via Ardeatina. Later Christians erected a
church over the spot, and towards the end of the 4th century, Pope Saint
Damasus inscribed a tombstone in honor of the saints. It read:
"Nereus and Achilleus the martyrs joined the army and carried out the
cruel orders of the tyrant, obeying his will continually out of fear. Then
came a miracle of faith. They suddenly gave up their savagery, they were
converted, they fled the camp of their evil leader, throwing away their
shields, armor, and bloody spears. Professing the faith of Christ, they
are happy to witness to its triumph. From these words of Damasus
understand what great deeds can be brought about by Christ's glory" (Attwater,
Benedictines, Bentley).
In art, Nereus, Achilles and Pancras are presented as three richly dressed
boys holding palms. At other times they may be holding swords, or, when
pictured with Flavia Domitilla, as soldiers (Roeder). Sometimes just these
two are shown together without Pancras.
Saint Pancras
(also known as Pancratius)
Born in Syria or Phrygia; died in Rome, Italy, c. 304. All that is known
of Saint Pancras is that he was buried in the cemetery of Calepodius on
the Aurelian Way, which was later named after him. According to unreliable
tradition recorded in Cardinal Wiseman's Fabiola, St Pancras was orphaned
and brought to Rome by an uncle, where both were converted to
Christianity. As a boy of fourteen, he was beheaded in Rome for his faith
during the reign of Diocletian.
Pope Saint Symmachus, c. 500, built a church to mark his grave. As in the
church of Saint Felix of Nola, oaths taken in Saint Pancras's church at
Rome, were esteemed to have a special sacredness. In the 7th century, Pope
Saint Vitalian sent some of his relics to England, where they are
enshrined in his titular church in London, which gave his name to the
borough and the railway station. Another church in Canterbury was
dedicated in his honor by Saint Augustine of Canterbury (Attwater,
Benedictines, Delaney, Hoagland).
When Saint Pancras is not pictured with SS. Achilleus and Nereus, he is
portrayed as a very young knight with a palm and pennant and having a
cross on his lance. He may also be shown as a young, unarmed Christian
martyr or with a Saracen under his feet. Pancras is invoked against cramp,
false witness, headache, and perjury (Roeder).
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