Let us pray (in silence) [that we rejoice in the Spirit guiding our lives]
pause
O God,
on this day you taught the hearts of the faithful
by the light of your Holy Spirit,
may we, by the same Spirit, be truly wise
and ever rejoice in your consolation;
through Jesus Christ
who is alive with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
The above is my reworking for my Book of Prayers in Common in which I seek to provide a set of collects with history and commentary.
Christians have been praying this collect for at least 13 centuries. The Day of Pentecost ends a season, the Great Season of Easter. Hence this collect is not used during the week following – the collect on weekdays, this year, is that for Ordinary Week 9. The Easter candle is now given a place of honour by the font and brought to be placed lit by the coffin at funerals.
The traditional ember days (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) that follow the Day of Pentecost are a return to the routine practice of fasting forbidden during the Great Fifty Days.
From at least the second century, the Day of Pentecost has been a time to baptise catechumens who were unable to be baptised on Easter Day. These two primary baptismal days, Easter Day and the Day of Pentecost, have expanded to include the feast of the Baptism of Christ, All Saints’ Day (or the Sunday following), and when the bishop is present.
My commentary: on the collect for Pentecost.
Ideas: for the Day of Pentecost service.
Pentecost Vigil.
If you appreciated this post, do remember to like the liturgy facebook page, use the RSS feed, and sign up for a not-very-often email, …
Hi! When will your book be done?
Ah, Janene! That is a question! I have an extremely busy non-digital life and ministry, and make room around the edges to run this website voluntarily and in any spare time I can snatch. As well as keeping up the regular blogs, there is much of this website I am slowly rebuilding – and then, yes, little by little, the book of collects is growing. Easter Season Blessings.
And how you are appreciated Bosco!
I would have very limited contact with Christianity if it were not for ‘liturgy NZ’.
What is called Christianity in America can be really difficult to me, the endless polarized hatred, the lack of provision for the sick and dying, the for-profit prisons and unequal laws.
But just about anyone can start a church or religion with no education or training; even those who have education and training it’s often simply ‘apologetics’ rather than the academic study of religions, religious history, languages etc.
‘I know what God is or what God means’ is probably the most arrogant nonsense on this planet, but I lose count of the people who make the claim.
‘What I believe is true otherwise I wouldn’t believe it’ type thinking.
Je veux que la mort me trouve plantant mes choux…
Thanks for the encouragement, Tracy! Easter Season Blessings.
Always.
Saint Catherine of Siena: Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.