Pentecost and Trinity

This year the Feast of Pentecost, or Whitsun as it is also known, is at the beginning of June. Pentecost is the older word, coming from the Greek name for a festival 50 days after Holy Week and Easter. The name Whitsun became popular in England when baptisms started to be held on this day as well as on Easter Day, so the word may come from White Sunday because of the white robes which people were wrapped in after they had been baptised.

In the Church calendar, Pentecost is the joyful time described at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples, giving them courage to tell everyone the Good News that Jesus is our Saviour, risen from death and alive for ever.

For some years the whole summer season in the Church became known as the Sundays after Pentecost, reminding us of the bravery and perseverance of the Apostles as they travelled all over the known world, bringing the first Christians into the young Church. Recently these weeks have regained their older name of Sundays after Trinity. On June 11th we celebrate Trinity Sunday, rejoicing in our faith in the one true God who is known and understood in three ways, our Father in heaven, his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. During the season of Trinity we think of the many ways in which Christians have come to know and worship God, allowing the beautiful flowers and the good fruits of faith to grow in our world.

With every blessing,

Ann