UNITED IN PRAYER
A PRAYER RESOURCE FOR FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS.
Today, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, often referred to as the birthday of the church.
This feast holds particular significance for the Diocese of Palmerston North, as we are consecrated to the Holy Spirit, and have one of the few Cathedrals in the world dedicated to the Holy Spirit.
Because of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost is also the feast day of the Diocese. It’s more than just a historical event; it’s a celebration of the ongoing work of the Spirit in the lives of the faithful, empowering them to live out their mission with boldness and zeal.
Pentecost isn’t just a feast day for the Diocese; it’s a vibrant reminder of our identity, our mission, and our unwavering faith in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.
Pause
Take a moment to still yourself. Take a deep breath and ask God for a renewed sense of presence with you in this moment.
Opening Prayer
O God, who by the mystery of today’s great feast sanctify your whole Church in every people and nation, pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit across the face of the earth and, with the divine grace that was at work when the Gospel was first proclaimed, fill now once more the hearts of believers.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
Sing or listen
In 2019 Korty Wilson, Kaiwhakarite Māori Apostolate for the diocese, wrote a song for the Diocese of Palmerston North. Find out more about why she wrote it and sing along below!
Lyrics:
Tēnei mātou (this is us)
No te Rau Aroha (from te Rau Aroha)
Te Rohe Pīhopa o Te Papaioea (the Diocese of Palmerston North)
E karanga atu nei (the call which goes out)
E tū atu nei (that stands)
Tuku reo aroha (for the love)
Hui, tuia, tui, tuia (that gathers us and binds us together)
Tuia, hui e taiki ee (Amen)
Hui e, Taiki e.
FIRST READING
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 103 (104):1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
R: Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
SECOND READING
Gospel
John 20:19-23
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 Jews.
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 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.”
As part of the 40th Jubilee celebrations for the Diocese back in 2020, the Diocese held the Upper Zoom, an online celebration for Pentecost Sunday.
During the celebration, Emeritus Bishop Peter Cullinane reflected on Jesus’ words in the Gospel for Pentecost Sunday: “Peace be with you.”
The Prayer for Consecration to the Holy Spirit was written in 1993 and adapted in 2020 for the 40th anniversary of the Diocese of Palmerston North.
Holy Spirit,
we, the people of the Diocese of Palmerston North,
different peoples, one people of God,
give ourselves over to you.
Through you we know God,
for you are the Spirit of God.
You inspire the Scriptures
which show us that God is like a loving, trustworthy father,
a mother who gently gathers her children.
You give us joy in the news of our salvation.
Holy Spirit, work miracles in us,
miracles of conversion, healing and reconciliation;
miracles of new hope, new life and new beginnings.
Amen.