Pentecost: Feast of Joy

[Weedon]

I wanted to share this lovely prayer in preparation for Pentecost from Lutheran Prayer Companion, but you’ll have to pray it after the Pentecost Day liturgy:

“94. Prayer of preparation for Whitsunday
Lord God, Holy Spirit, who on the sacred day of Pentecost filled the hearts of the apostles with new gifts: enlighten our hearts also and grant that we may keep the feast devoutly. Come, precious Guest of our hearts; come, only Treasure of our souls. Dwell in us as in Your temple; purify our hearts from sin. Make us all the anointed of the Lord, and help us by Your power to resist all our spiritual enemies and to obtain the victory. In our prayers and thanksgivings, intercede for us with groanings too deep for words. Comfort all troubled hearts, that the bones that You have broken may rejoice. Support us by Your power against the accusations of our heart and conscience, that there may be no condemnation for us. May Your peace, which surpasses all human understanding, guard our hearts and our minds unto joy everlasting. Give and grant us, O God, Holy Spirit, sincere joy in this holy feast, and when this life is done, let us ever proclaim Your wondrous works; who with the Father and Son are most blessed forever. Amen.”

Excerpt From
Lutheran Prayer Companion
Concordia Publishing House
https://books.apple.com/us/book/lutheran-prayer-companion/id1434070829
This material may be protected by copyright.

It is impossible to miss the joy that rings through the readings and the propers and hymns. I still miss the old wording, but the thought is in the Preface: “Whereat the whole earth rejoices with exceeding joy.” Exceeding joy. That’s the Spirit’s great gift. So in the Introit: “Let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; yea, let them EXCEEDINGLY rejoice.” From the collect: “And EVERMORE TO REJOICE in His holy comfort.” The epistle from Acts 2 - the Apostles are mistaken for drunks, and I take not just because of the tongues but because of the joy that filled them to overflowing. From the Entrance Hymn (O Holy Spirit, Enter In): “To joy and gladness wake us that we may be truly living!” From the final hymn: “O Day Full of Grace” - “Great joy for us all retrieving, for Jesus all mortals did embrace” and “All joys of the heavens sharing.” St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Russian mystic, said that the Holy Spirit turns to joy whatever He touches. And He has touched the liturgy that celebrates His Holy Day!

At the late service today, some five young men are being confirmed and welcomed to the holy Eucharist, so the joy of the congregation overflows this day even as we pray for them to be faithful unto death that they may receive the crown of everlasting life.

[Michael Slusser]

Very lovely, Pr. Weedon!

Are your vestments red on this day as they are in the RCC?

Peace,
Michael

[Weedon]

Father,

They are indeed. Pastor was in the red fiddleback chasuble and Peder (our seminarian) served as deacon in red dalmatic. It was also beautiful to see two of my godchildren serving as altar servers (both are from China): Joseph carried the cross and Sammy was a torch bearer; but they were just in cassock and surplice. The singing was unreal too: very, very boisterous this morning!

[Brian Stoffregen]

Very lovely, Pr. Weedon!

Are your vestments red on this day as they are in the RCC?

Peace,
Michael

Traditionally, the Lutheran calendars have two (bright) red festivals: Pentecost and Reformation. Scarlet (a darker red) is used for martyrs, and is an option for the Sunday of the Passion.

[Weedon]

We just use the Pentecost Red for martyrs too, Brian. We reserve the Scarlet for Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Holy Wednesday.

[Norman Teigen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rETHbd-Vb3k. Bach's Cantata #34 for Pentecost.

See also.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d-B7AS7JhI. for an explanation of the cantata. 

[Weedon]

P.S. One more thing that occurred to me about the day. The traditional Gospel reading from John 14 ends with “Rise, let us go from here.” And that seems a very fitting end for the 50 days; the summons that it’s time to leave our little extended foretaste of the Eschaton that is Eastertide and launch out with the Lord into the sufferings that await us in this age; but to endure them all with the hope and good courage that come from having already known and tasted the joys into which we are headed at the end.

[Brian Stoffregen]

We just use the Pentecost Red for martyrs too, Brian. We reserve the Scarlet for Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Holy Wednesday.

I checked ELW's calendar. Scarlet/Red is designated for the Lesser Festivals and Commemorations that aren't white.


Scarlet/Purple is designated for Pass/Palm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Holy Week.
Scarlet/White is designated for Maundy Thursday.

As I recall some speaker saying: they wanted to make a distinction between Pentecost and Martyrs and connect the Martyrs to Christ's passion; thus two different shades of red.

Attached is chart I created with the Festivals, Dates, and Colors (from ELW).

[J. Thomas Shelley]

P.S. One more thing that occurred to me about the day. The traditional Gospel reading from John 14 ends with “Rise, let us go from here.” And that seems a very fitting end for the 50 days; the summons that it’s time to leave our little extended foretaste of the Eschaton that is Eastertide and launch out with the Lord into the sufferings that await us in this age; but to endure them all with the hope and good courage that come from having already known and tasted the joys into which we are headed at the end.

Interesting intersection with the "four weeks behind" Orthodox calendar.  Today was the Sunday of the Paralytic who at the Sheep's Gate Pool was told by Jesus, "Rise, take up your pallet and walk".

On Wednesday we will be celebrating the Feast of Mid-Pentecost, which would be better titled "Midway between Pascha and Pentecost".  We're not quite halfway there....