Praying the Eight Pillars of Joy

Pentecost

The Gospel According to John 20:19-23:

“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.”  When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Pentecost is not just a one-day event, a miraculous happening; it is Jesus’ invitation to the disciples, and therefore to us, to enter in earnest into His ministry.  An invitation to be continually breathed into by Jesus, to be continually filled by the Holy Spirit, to go into the world carrying Jesus’ message, “Peace be with you.”

Let us pray:

Gracious God,

by the power of your Christ,

breathe into us your Holy Spirit,

that we may live your Way in the world

and answer your call to Peace.  Amen.

​