A Note from St. James’ Pastoral Care May 2024, Pentecost - Trinity Sunday

Oct 17, 2026

A pastoral letter from St. James’ Anglican Church for May 2024 reflects on Pentecost and the birth of the Church through the Holy Spirit. It traces Pentecost as the longest liturgical season, connects it with Scripture passages in Acts, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and Colossians, and explains why Trinity Sunday follows Pentecost. The letter includes proposed Gospel readings for Pentecost Sunday through mid-June, a sonnet and the Gloria Patri prayer to the Holy Trinity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Pentecost reflection

Pentecost in Acts and Scripture

Why Trinity Sunday follows Pentecost

Gospel readings for May and June

Sonnet on the Trinity and the Gloria Patri

A Note from St. James’ Pastoral Care May 2024, Pentecost Dear Friend, Happy Birthday! Not yours nor mine but the Christian Church’s! The Feast of Pentecost is celebrated as the day on which the Holy Spirit - promised by Jesus and awaited by His followers-suddenly swept through those praying together in the Upper Room, filling them with courage and eloquence, symbolized by wind and flame. Immediately, they were able to go out and to proclaim that not only had Jesus been raised from the dead, but also that He was the Christ, the Son of God. On top of that, these disciples were able to “speak in other tongues”: they could be understood by pilgrims from all over the known world, who had come to Jerusalem for the Jewish Feast of Shavuot (first a feast of thanksgiving for the wheat harvest and later, additionally a remembrance of God’s giving of the Law to Moses) . Peter preached a rousing sermon, three thousand people were converted and baptised - and the Church was born! The whole of Chapter 2 in the Book of Acts tells this story. This Season of Pentecost is by far the longest season in the Liturgical Calendar, stretching from Spring far into Fall. Although I’m sure there are many reasons for this, I like to think that one is because, after God sent the Spirit of Christ-the Holy Spirit-to those gathered in that upper room (as Jesus had promised), the people who joined them all together became “the Church - the Body of Christ”. The length of the Pentecost Season thus symbolizes the time since then that Jesus’ followers have continued on through the ages, all the way up to US, now! St. Paul says that we are all parts of Christ’s Body and ALL important. 1 He makes this case particularly in 1 Corinthians 12: 12- 27, but also in Ephesians 4: 15,16 and Colossians 1: 18. So, WE, as part of Christ’s Body and of His Church, have now become inheritors of that Holy Spirit! But, just after we begin this new season, why is “Trinity Sunday”, another Feast Day, the name of the following Sunday? I’m sure there are reasons I don’t know, but I imagine one is that we have now been fully introduced to all three Persons of our Triune God: God the Father (or Creator) at the very beginning of the Old Testament, Jesus Christ (or Redeemer) at the beginning of the Gospels, and now the Holy Spirit (or Sanctifier) is fully revealed in the Book of Acts. Together, these Three Persons are One God, the Mystery of a Community of Love named the Holy Trinity. Because the Holy Trinity forms this Community of Love, so we as the Church pray for softened hearts to love each other in our community, too. How are we doing? The Gospels for this first month of the Season of Pentecost are: May 19 PENTECOST John 15: 26-27, 16: 4b-15 May 26 TRINITY SUNDAY John 3: 1-17 June 2 Mark 2: 23-3:6 June 9 Mark 12: 33–44 June 16 Mark 4: 26–34 2 The poet, professor and Anglican priest, Malcolm Guite, tries to give us an idea of the Trinity as a“communion of love” in the introduction to this sonnet, as well as by pointing us toa famous ICON: “By coming to us as the Son, revealing to us the Father, and sending to us the Spirit, Jesus revealed the deepest mystery; that God is not distant and alone, but is three in one, a communion of love who comes to make His home with us. The Rublev Icon, above, shows the Three in One inviting us to share in that communion.” Trinity Sunday In the Beginning, not in time or space, But in the quick before both space and time, In Life, in Love, in co-inherent Grace, In three in one and one in three, in rhyme, In music, in the whole creation story, In His own image, His imagination, The Triune Poet makes us for His glory, And makes us each the other’s inspiration. He calls us out of darkness, chaos, chance, To improvise a music of our own, To sing the chord that calls us to the dance, Three notes resounding from a single tone, To sing the End in whom we all begin; Our God beyond, beside us and within. Finally, here’s a sho

FAQs

What does Pentecost celebrate in this letter?

Pentecost is celebrated as the day when the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus swept through those praying together in the Upper Room, giving courage and enabling them to proclaim Christ.

Why is Trinity Sunday the name of the Sunday after Pentecost?

The letter suggests that the timing reflects the full introduction of the three Persons of the Triune God: the Father, the Son, and now the Holy Spirit revealed in the Book of Acts.

What Gospel readings are listed for early Pentecost season in May and June?

The letter lists May 19 (John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15), May 26 (John 3:1-17), June 2 (Mark 2:23-3:6), June 9 (Mark 12:33–44), and June 16 (Mark 4:26–34).

Oct 17, 2026

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