Service Sheet for Sunday 24th May - Pentecost - Whitsunday - St. Paul’s Anglican Church

21/05/2026

Service Sheet for Sunday 24th May – Pentecost – Whitsunday

Celebrant & Preacher

The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan

Sung Mass for Pentecost-Whitsunday

Processional: 137 (Down Ampney) Come down, O Love divine

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 104 (537 in the New English Hymnal)

Gradual: 136 (Wareham) Rejoice, the year upon its way

Hymn after Homily: (Veni Creator) Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire

Offertory: 142 (Grafton) Sing to him in whom creation

Communion: 342 (Dominica) Breathe on me, Breath of God

Recessional: 409 (Woodlands) Love of the Father, love of God the Son

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

The Mass setting is Sir James Macmillan’s ‘St. Anne’s Mass’

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (1: 12-14)

When Pentecost day came round, they 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 be-

gan 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.

Resp. Psalm: Ps. 104: Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth (text at 537 in the New English Hymnal)

A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (12: 3-7, 12-13)

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.

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia!

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia! The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John (20: 19-23)

Glory to you, O Lord.

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, O Christ

God, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by the sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour,

who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.(BCP Collect: Whitsunday

Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments

Wednesday 27th May: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sunday 31th May: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass (The Most Holy Trinity)

Quiz Evening: Apollonos 6, 29th May, 7:30 p.m., details from Jean Mertzanakis, or Oliver Knight.

Study group & walking group: details from Father Benjamin.

Spring Bazaar: to be held at the church on 6th June. Further details may be had from churchwarden Lynn Stavrou. All donations are very gratefully received, but please bring them the week before the bazaar only (from Monday, 1st June), as they cannot be stored conveniently at the church.

Volunteers, and, especially, donations for the cake stall, are sought

Donate electronically by scanning the QR code;