Pentecost Sunday

Acts 2:1-11 (JB)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak different languages.

When Pentecost day came round, the apostles had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome – Jews and proselytes alike – Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Acts 2:1-11 (NRSV)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

When the day of Pentecost had come,

they were all together in one place.

And suddenly from heaven there came a sound

like the rush of a violent wind,

and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,

and a tongue rested on each of them.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

and began to speak in other languages,

as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven

living in Jerusalem.

And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered,

because all heard them speaking in their own languages.

Amazed and astonished, they asked,

“Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

And how is it that we hear, each of us,

in our own language?

Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia,

Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

Phrygia and Pamphylia,

Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene,

and visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts,

Cretans and Arabs-

in our own languages we hear them speaking

about God’s deeds of power.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 103:1, 24, 29-31, 34 (JB)

R. Lord, send out your Spirit

and renew the face of the earth.

or

R. Alleluia.

Bless the Lord, my soul!

Lord God, how great you are,

How many are your works, O Lord!

The earth is full of your riches. R.

You take back your spirit, they die,

returning to the dust from which they came.

You send forth your spirit, they are created;

and you renew the face of the earth. R.

May the glory of the Lord last for ever!

May the Lord rejoice in his works!

May my thoughts be pleasing to him.

I find my joy in the Lord. R.

1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 (Year A) (JB)

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians

In the one Spirit we were all baptised, making one body.

No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose.

Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Romans 8:8-17 (Year C) (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans

Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God.

People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him. Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.

Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 (Year A) (NRSV)

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians

No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;

and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;

and there are varieties of activities,

but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

For just as the body is one and has many members,

and all the members of the body, though many, are one body,

so it is with Christ.

For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body

-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-

and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Romans 8:8-17 (Year C) (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh;

you are in the Spirit,

since the Spirit of God dwells in you.

Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ

does not belong to him.

But if Christ is in you,

though the body is dead because of sin,

the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,

he who raised Christ from the dead

will give life to your mortal bodies also

through his Spirit that dwells in you.

So then, brothers and sisters,

we are debtors, not to the flesh,

to live according to the flesh-

for if you live according to the flesh, you will die;

but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,

you will live.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

SeqAccl (JB)

Sequence

Holy Spirit, Lord of Light,

From the clear celestial height

Thy pure beaming radiance give.

Come, thou Father of the poor,

Come with treasures which endure

Come, thou light of all that live!

Thou, of all consolers best,

Thou, the soul’s delightful guest,

Dost refreshing peace bestow

Thou in toil art comfort sweet

Pleasant coolness in the heat

Solace in the midst of woe.

Light immortal, light divine,

Visit thou these hearts of thine,

And our inmost being fill:

If thou take thy grace away,

Nothing pure in man will stay

All his good is turned to ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew

On our dryness pour thy dew

Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will

Melt the frozen, warm the chill

Guide the steps that go astray.

Thou, on us who evermore

Thee confess and thee adore,

With thy sevenfold gifts descend:

Give us comfort when we die

Give us life with thee on high

Give us joys that never end.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Alleluia!

John 14:15-16, 23-26 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

The Holy Spirit will teach you everything.

Jesus said to his disciples

‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.

I shall ask the Father

and he will give you another Advocate

to be with you for ever.

‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we shall come to him

and make our home with him.

Those who do not love me do not keep my words.

And my word is not my own;

it is the word of the one who sent me.

I have said these things to you

while still with you;

but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you everything

and remind you of all I have said to you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 20:19-23 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

As the Father sent me, so I send you: Receive the Holy Spirit.

In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you,’ and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,

so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.

For those whose sins you forgive,

they are forgiven;

for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14:15-16, 23-26 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

Jesus spoke to the disciples:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another Advocate,

to be with you forever.

“Those who love me will keep my word,

and my Father will love them,

and we will come to them and make our home with them.

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;

and the word that you hear is not mine,

but is from the Father who sent me.

“I have said these things to you while I am still with you.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you everything,

and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 20:19-23 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

It was evening on the day Jesus rose from the dead,

the first day of the week,

and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked

for fear of the authorities.

Jesus came and stood among them and said,

“Peace be with you.”

After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

Then 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.”

When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them;

if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.