PENTECOST - TRINITY SUNDAY
June 7, 2009
Epistle Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11
WHEN
THE DAY of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And
suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and
it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to
them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were
dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were
bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
And they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are
speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own
native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and
Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and
visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we
hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." On
the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and
proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who
believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow
rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, which
those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had
not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. When they
heard these words, some of the people said, "This is really the
prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the
Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the scripture said that the Christ
is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where
David was?" So there was a division among the people over him. Some of
them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The
officers then went back to the chief priest and Pharisees, who said to
them, "Why did you not bring him?" The officers answered, "No man ever
spoke like this man!" The Pharisees answered them, "Are you led astray,
you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in
him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed." Nikodemos,
who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them,
"Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and
learning what he does?" They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search
and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee." Again Jesus
spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me
will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
From the Holy Gospel According to John 7:37-52; 8:12
