The Day of Pentecost

Let Us Pray For…

Forward In Faith, North America (FIFNA)
The Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, SSC, DO (Director)
Fr. William H. Ilgenfritz (Convocational Dean)


From the Scriptures
"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Luke 11:9-13 (ESV)

The Collect
O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment 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.

“Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday,” The Book of Common Prayer (USA, 1928)

A Heritage Reflection
Father of all, in whom alone
We live, and move, and breathe,
One bright celestial ray dart down,
And cheer thy sons beneath.

While in thy word we search for thee,
(We search with trembling awe!)
Open our eyes, and let us see
The wonders of thy law.

Now let our darkness comprehend
The light that shines so clear;
Now the revealing Spirit send,
And give us ears to hear.

Before us make thy goodness pass,
Which here by faith we know;
Let us in Jesus see thy face,
And die to all below.

Rev. Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Hymns & Sacred Poems

The Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day

Let Us Pray For…

Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas (FACA)
The Rt. Rev. Paul Hewett (Moderator)


From the Scriptures
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”

John 15:26-16:4a (ESV)

The Collect
O GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

“The Sunday after Ascension Day” The Book of Common Prayer (USA, 1928)

A Heritage Reflection
[paraphrasing Jesus in John 16:1-4]
“’For ye will not be able to say, that I flatteringly told you only those things which would please you, nor that the words were words of deceit; for one who intended to deceive, would not have told you beforehand of matters likely to turn you away. I have therefore told you before, that these things might not fall upon you unexpectedly, and trouble you; and for another reason besides, that ye might not say, that I did not foreknow that these things would be. Remember then that I have told you.’”

St. John Chrysostom (347-404)
Homilies on the Gospel of St. John

The Ascension Day

Let Us Pray For…

The Brothers and Sisters who visit and pray with the “Prayer for Common Cause” prayer blog

This one’s for all of you—WHS


From the Scriptures
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Act 1:1-11 (ESV)

The Collect
GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

“The Ascension Day” The Book of Common Prayer (USA, 1928)

A Heritage Reflection
Soar we now where Christ hath led,
Following our exalted Head:
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.

Rev. Charles Wesley
(1707-1788)

The Sixth Sunday of Easter: Rogation Sunday

Let Us Pray For…

Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA)
The Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns (Missionary Bishop)
Anglican Church of Nigeria


From the Scriptures
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:23b-33 (ESV)

The Collect
O LORD, from whom all good things do come; Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

“The Fifth Sunday after Easter, commonly called Rogation Sunday” The Book of Common Prayer (USA, 1928)

A Heritage Reflection
“Truly, our heavenly lover desires that our soul cleave to him with all its might, and that we continuously cleave to his goodness. For of all the things the heart may think, that most pleases God, and soonest succeeds.”

Juliana of Norwich (1342-c. 1416)

Revelations of Divine Love

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Let Us Pray For…

Anglican Network In Canada (ANiC)
The Rt. Rev. Donald Harvey (Moderator and Chair)
Anglican Province of the Southern Cone


From the Scriptures
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:17-21 (ESV)

The Collect
O ALMIGHTY God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men: Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“The Fourth Sunday after Easter,” The Book of Common Prayer (Canada, 1962; USA, 1928)



A Heritage Reflection
“What do you mean by the resurrection of the body?—That at the appointed time our souls shall be joined to our bodies, and that we shall be raised to be the same persons as we were before we died.

“Do we know how this can be?—No; it will be done by the same power with which Christ raised Himself from the dead. (Rom. Viii.11.)

“What may we learn from this festival?—To believe more firmly all the articles of the Christian faith, to rise from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness, and to set our affections on things above.”

Rev. William J. Deane
A Catechism of the Holydays as Observed by the Church of England (1886)

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

Let Us Pray For…

Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA)
The Rt. Rev. Charles Murphy (Senior Bishop)
Anglican Church of the Province of Rwanda

From the Scriptures
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

John 14:1-14 (ESV)*

_______________
*The New Testament Lesson appointed for this day, Morning Prayer, 1945 Lectionary.


The Collect
ALMIGHTY God, who showest to them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all those who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ's Religion, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

“The Third Sunday after Easter,” The Book of Common Prayer (USA, 1928)

A Heritage Reflection
“Why did Christ rise from the dead?—To show that His atonement was complete, that He Himself was the Son of God, and His doctrine divine.”

Rev. William J. Deane
A Catechism of the Holydays as Observed by the Church of England (1886)