Pentecost
The Feast of Pentecost is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter. This year it was celebrated on Sunday 31st May.
Pentecost is the Birthday of the Church and it celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit, the very special gift that Jesus had promised his Disciples he would send to help and guide them. This gift transformed their lives.
The Liturgical colour associated with the Feast of Pentecost is Red.
 |
 |
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost ~ Acts 2:1-12
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
You can also watch and listen to the story of Pentecost.
Holy Spirit Prayer
Key Vocabulary Associated with Pentecost:
Disciples
The colour Red
Holy Spirit
Flames
Tongues of Fire
Wind
Dove
Language
Key Symbols Associated with Pentecost:
Dan and Emily’s Weekly Worship and Song, focussing upon Pentecost:
Pentecost Activities
- Write your own prayer to the Holy Spirit.
- Retell the story of Pentecost – this could be in writing or through pictures, by creating your own Pentecost Story Board: Pentecost Story Board Template
- Write a description about how Jesus’ disciples felt before and after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Write an account from the perspective of one of Jesus’ Disciples.
- Create speech bubbles for Jesus’ disciples, recording what they may have said to one another when they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Make your own Pentecost banner, using the colour Red and some of the other key words and symbols associated with this Feast, e.g. your banner may include images of tongues of fire or a Dove.
- Learn some key phrases in different languages – can you learn how to say, “Hello” in different languages?
- Create your own Pentecost flame using colouring pencils, felt tip pens or craft materials. Pentecost Flame Outline
CAFOD Activities
- Pentecost and Peace Colouring Sheet (pdf)
- Wordsearch (pdf)
- How to Cartoon Activity (pdf)
Mission Together Pentecost Liturgy: We are Church
The Christian feast of Pentecost occurs on the seventh Sunday after Christ’s resurrection and concludes the great season of Easter. In scripture, the period of fifty days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost is punctuated with Christ’s appearances to the Apostles. These appearances affirmed to the Apostles the reality of Christ’s resurrection and helped them understand more clearly Christ’s message of mercy and love. But despite the appearances, the Apostles remained clouded with anxiety and doubt. Without Christ’s constant presence they were uncertain of their purpose and mission. That was until God’s Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost, enabling them to go out and spread the love and Good News of Christ with all. Because of this, Pentecost is regarded as the birth of the Church and its mission to the world.
Pentecost Liturgy: We are Church (includes activities)
 |
 |