Pentecost derives its name from the Jewish festival celebrating the harvest and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai fifty days after Passover. Fifty days after Easter, we celebrate the Holy Spirit as God’s presence within and among us. In Acts the Spirit arrives in rushing wind and flame, bringing God’s presence to all people. Paul reminds us that though we each have different capacities, we are unified in the Spirit that equips us with these gifts. Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on his disciples, empowering them to forgive sin. We celebrate that we too are given the breath of the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim God’s redeeming love to all the world.
The people’s responses are given in bold.
ENTRANCE PROCESSION
The people are invited to stand as they are able as the sacred ministers enter the church from the south-east door.
THE GREETING
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
May Christ’s grace and peace be with you.
May he fill our hearts with joy!
THE COLLECT FOR PURITY
Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS
Glory be to God on high,
and in earth peace, good will towards all.
We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee,
we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
The collect is the prayer appointed for the day that reflects the theme of the day or season, and which celebrates the attributes of God revealed in the readings of the day.
Almighty and everliving God,
who fulfilled the promises of Easter
by sending us your Holy Spirit
and opening to every race and nation
the way of life eternal,
keep us in the unity of your Spirit,
that every tongue may tell of your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The people may be seated.
THE FIRST READING Acts 2. 1–21 Bart MacDougall
Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival that marked the fiftieth day after Passover. Luke portrays the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the disciples before the gathered and astonished people assembled in Jerusalem for the festival. Filled with the Spirit, the disciples were able to witness to the power of Christ’s resurrection.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM Psalm 104. 25–35, 37
The Psalms form the ancient songbook of God’s people.
25 O Lord, how manifold are your works! * in wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
26 Yonder is the great and wide sea with its living things too many to number, * creatures both small and great.
27 There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, * which you have made for the sport of it.
28 All of them look to you * to give them their food in due season.
29 You give it to them; they gather it; * you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; * you take away their breath, and they die and return to their dust.
31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; * and so you renew the face of the earth.
32 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; * may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; * he touches the mountains and they smoke.
34 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; * I will praise my God while I have my being.
35 May these words of mine please him; * I will rejoice in the Lord.
37 Bless the Lord, O my soul. * Hallelujah!
THE SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 12. 3b–13 Bart MacDougall
Paul is helping the Corinthians understand the relationship between our God-given unity and Spirit-created diversity. The Spirit creates the unity of faith and gives all Christians diverse gifts for the common benefit of all. We need one another’s diverse spiritual gifts because the same Spirit has given them to each person for the common good.
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
THE HOLY GOSPEL John 7. 37–39
Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as living water, quenching the thirst of all who come to him and filling the hearts of believers until they overflow.
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John.
Glory to thee, O Lord.
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise be to thee, O Christ.
THE SERMON The Reverend Canon Dr. David Anderson
The sermon follows the readings and reflects on one or more the readings, relating them to our Christian discipleship and daily life.
The people are seated.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Nicene Creed
Let us confess the faith as we say,
I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all worlds,
God, of God; Light, of Light; very God, of very God;
begotten, not made; being of one substance with the Father;
through whom all things were made:
who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man,
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again
according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead:
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceedeth from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
who spake by the prophets.
And I believe one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The people may be seated for the prayers.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Bart MacDougall
We pray for the Church throughout the world; the flourishing of creation; the nation, our King and all in authority under him; the needs of the world, the concerns of our community of faith, especially those who have requested our prayers; and for the departed.
The people are seated.
Trusting in the power of Christ’s resurrection to heal and redeem our broken world, let us pray for the needs of all creation.
A brief silence.
O God, you send the Holy Spirit to gather your church into one. In the worldwide Anglican Communion, we pray for The Episcopal Church in the Philippines. In our Diocese of Niagara, for Grace Church, Waterdown; The Reverend David Montgomery, Rector; and the people of that parish. We pray for Susan and Colin our bishops; David, Sarah, and Patrick our priests, and for our other parish leaders and all the people. We pray for all those to be ordained on this Pentecost Sunday, especially Michael Bowyer, Doug Downey, Adedayo Olomodosi, and Kathy Thomas, to be ordained to the Holy Order of Deacons; and The Reverend David Shumaker to be ordained to the Holy Order of Priests. Let your Holy Spirit empower your whole church to join in your mission for the sake of the world. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth. Protect all living things, bring forth clean water and abundant food, and grant us wonder as we contemplate all you have made. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit to break down the barriers of communication among nations. Bestow peace in war-torn areas, guide all in government and society to work for justice. We pray for Charles our king and all in authority under him; for Mark, the Prime Minister of Canada; Doug, the Premier of Ontario; Gary, the Chair of Halton Regional Council; and Rob, the Mayor of Oakville. We pray for peace among nations and peoples, especially for an end to war with the United States, Israel and Iran, and throughout the Middle East; between Ukraine and Russia; Afghanistan and Pakistan; and in Myanmar and Sudan. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit to accompany those who feel abandoned. Provide food for those who hunger and drink for those who thirst, soothe those who are anxious or bereaved, comfort those who are sick or suffering, and answer all who call upon your name, especially those who have requested our prayers: Bruce, Kevin, Marlene, Moira, Brooke, Kathryn, Peter, Jas, Isabel, Eileen, Madison, Pam, Mary, Cheryl, Scott M, Cam, Freda, Melissa, Carter, Sylvia, Andreas, Barence, Chris D., Sandi, Janet, Adam, Terry, Glen, Avril, Bob, Carol and Barbara. May your Holy Comforter draw near to each one. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit through the gift of baptism. Bless both Ty Collver, to be baptized here this day and for all affirming their baptism. May they be encouraged by this community of faith as they live out their baptismal promises. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit to console us in our grief. We give you thanks for our ancestors in the faith whose witness to your mighty works continues to inspire our lives. Today we remember Matthew Keogh, William & Marion Davison and Leonard & Gertrude Pat Birkett in whose memory flowers have been given. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
God of resurrection power, use us and these prayers to proclaim the good news of new life to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our risen Saviour. Amen.
THE PEACE
As forgiven and reconcile people we exchange words of peace with one another.
God has made us one in Christ.
He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come,
has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia, alleluia.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And with thy spirit.
The people are invited to share words of peace with one another.
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
The people may stand through the ‘Sanctus’.
Giver of life,
receive all we offer you this day.
Let the Spirit you bestow on your Church
continue to work in the world
through the hearts of all who believe.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
It is meet and right so to do.
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, creator and preserver of all things, Through Jesus Christ our Lord, according to whose most true promise thou dost pour forth thy Spirit upon us, filling us with gifts and leading us into all truth: who dost give us power to proclaim the gospel to all nations and to serve thee as a royal priesthood. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name; evermore praising thee and saying:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts,
heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord most high.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessing and glory and thanksgiving be unto thee, almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memorial of that his precious death, until his coming again.
Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee; and grant that we receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine, according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed body and blood; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread; and, when he had given thanks, he brake it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise after supper he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all, of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins: Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Wherefore, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we thy humble servants, with all thy holy Church, remembering the precious death of thy beloved Son, his mighty resurrection, and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming again in glory, do make before thee, in this sacrament of the holy bread of eternal life and the cup of everlasting salvation, the memorial which he hath commanded:
We praise thee, we bless thee, we thank thee,
and we pray to thee, Lord our God.
And we entirely desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, most humbly beseeching thee to grant, that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion; And we pray that by the power of thy Holy Spirit, all we who are partakers of this holy communion may be fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly benediction; through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Rejoicing in God’s new creation and gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Saviour taught us,
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
We do not presume to come to this thy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
FRACTION ANTHEM Agnus Dei
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world: have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world: have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world: grant us thy peace.
THE COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
All people who seek to follow Jesus are welcome to receive the Holy Communion. The Holy Communion is distributed at the altar rail. You are welcome to kneel or stand to receive. You may receive Holy Communion in either, or both the bread and the wine. Gluten free bread is available; if you prefer gluten free, please ask the priest distributing the bread. Receive the bread in your open and outstretched hands, responding, Amen. The wine is offered from a common cup. To receive please assist by helping guide the cup to your lips. If you prefer not to receive the cup, cross your arms across your chest. If you prefer to receive a blessing rather than the bread and wine of communion, again, cross your arms over your chest as the priest comes to distribute the bread and the priest will bless you.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
The people may stand.
Father,
may we who have received this eucharist
live in the unity of your Holy Spirit,
that we may show forth his gifts to all the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed are you, sovereign God, overflowing in love.
With Pentecost dawns the age of the Spirit.
Now the flame of heaven rests on every believer.
Strong and weak, persons in God’s glorious diversity, tell out your word;
the young receive visions, the old receive dreams.
With the new wine of the Spirit
they proclaim your reign of love.
Amid the birth pangs of the new creation
the way of light is made known.
Source of freedom, giver of life,
blessed are you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
BLESSING
May the Spirit,
who set the Church on fire upon the Day of Pentecost,
make you alive with the love of the risen Christ,
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
If it is needful that any announcements concerning the life and work of the church be made, they are given at this time.
DISMISSAL
Alleluia, alleluia! Filled with the Spirit’s power
go in the light and peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!
As you are able, please remain standing as the sacred ministers make their way from the church.
TODAY’S MINISTERS. Presiding Celebrant and Preacher: The Reverend Canon Dr. David Anderson, Rector; Assisting Minister: The Reverend Sarah Grondin, Priest Associate. Reader & Greeter: Bart MacDougall. Altar Guild: Esmae Tennison, Colleen Balders.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This liturgy is in the tradition of the Book of Common Prayer (Canada, 1962), and is adapted from the Book of Alternative Services, The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada (1984), and from other sources as follows. ‘The Collect of the Day’ is from Alternative Collects, The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada (2019). ‘The Prayers of the People’ are adapted from Sundays and Seasons, Augsburg Fortress, © 2026, used by permission. This liturgy is used at St. Jude’s Church by authority of the Bishop of Niagara.
ALTAR FLOWERS
The flowers on the reredos are to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Matthew Keogh, William & Marion Davison and Leonard & Gertrude Pat Birkett, given by the family.
All are invited to make a gift to support
St. Jude’s ministry of sharing God’s love.
As the plate is passed or by scanning the QR code at the left or
online at stjudeschurch.net/give.
Thank you for your generosity.
St. Jude’s Church
www.stjudeschurch.net
office@stjudeschurch.net
905-844-3972
Clergy and Staff
The Right Reverend Dr. Susan J.A. Bell, Bishop of Niagara
The Reverend Canon Dr. David Anderson, Rector anderson@stjudeschurch.net
The Reverend Sarah Grondin, Assistant Curate grondin@stjudeschurch.net
The Reverend Canon Dr. Patrick Patterson, Priest Assistant pat.macrae.pat@gmail.com
Adedayo Olomodosi, Student Minister
Sebastian Moreno, Director of Music choir@stjudeschurch.net
Dr. Andrei Streliaev, Associate Organist
Corinne DeJong, Choral Lead and Youth Chorus Director choir@stjudeschurch.net
Grace D’Mello, Choral Scholar
Carmen Almeida, Coordinator of Youth and Children’s Ministry carmen@stjudeschurch.net
Amanda Judd, Operations Manager manager@stjudeschurch.net
Bharatie Malik, Parish Secretary office@stjudeschurch.net
Churchwardens
Kevin Coleman, People’s Warden peopleswarden@stjudeschurch.net
Nancy Coombs, Rector’s Warden rectorswarden@stjudeschurch.net
Dave Haslett, Deputy People’s Warden
Nick Choules-Burbidge, Treasurer nwrburbidge@gmail.com
We’d love to stay connected with you.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Join Us for Adedayo’s Ordination Celebration: Sun, May 24 @ 4 PM
We joyfully congratulate our Student Minister, Adedayo, on the occasion of his ordination, taking place on Sunday, May 24 at 4:00 PM at Christ's Church Cathedral, Hamilton.
This is a special and blessed milestone in his journey of ministry, and we invite all parishioners to join us in celebrating, praying for, and supporting him on this memorable day.
Book Club: Tue, June 2 @ 2 PM
Join us in the library to discuss "The Mozart Code" by Rachel McMillan.
~ A gifted musician. A hidden message buried in music. A journey through history, memory, and danger where every clue leads deeper into mystery.
Choral Evensong: Sun, June 7 @ 4 PM
Jazz Vespers: Sun, June 14 @ 4 PM