The Roman Missal: Ascension Day to Ember Saturday in Whitsun Week (English) 4

1[Whit Sunday.]

2Introit. Wisd. i. The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole earth, alleluia; and that which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.—Let God arise, and his enemies be scattered; and let them that hate him, fly before his face.—Glory, &c.

3Prayer. Deus qui. O God, who on this day didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that we may be truly wise in the same spirit, and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through our Lord, &c. in the unity of the same, &c.

4Lesson. Acts ii. 1—11. When the days of pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place; and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue: and they were all amazed, and wondered, saying, Behold are not all these that speak, Galileans? And how have we heard every man our own tongue wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians: we have heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.

5Alleluia, alleluia.—Send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Alleluia. * Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful; and kindle in them the fire of thy love.

6[* Here all kneel.]

7[Sequence.]

8Holy Spirit! come possess us, / Let thy radiant light descend; / And thy gifts from heaven to bless us, / On thy suppliant children send.

9Father of the poor and friendless! / Every perfect gift is thine; / Come, thou source of bounties endless, / Fill our hearts with light divine.

10Comfort when afflictions grieve us, / Balsam to the wounded soul; / At thy word our sorrows leave us, / Subject to thy sweet control.

11Blest repose, when spent and weary, / In thy care we gladly sleep; / Life's rude toil and travel dreary / Thou wilt cheer for those who weep.

12Let thy splendour beam around us, / Fill our inmost breasts with joy; / Where the woes of life have found us, / Haste, our darkest ills destroy.

13Feeble man bends low before thee, / Owning all thy Godhead's might; / Prone to ill, he dares implore thee, / Aid him with celestial light.

14Cleanse the sinful spots that stain him, / Water all his sterile land, / To the fatal wounds that pain him, / Stretch thy gracious healing hand.

15Let our stubborn hearts obeying, / Bend to thy resistless arm; / Warm the tepid, save the straying, / From the lurking foe's alarm.

16Grant to us, in thee confiding, / All thy sevenfold gifts of love; / With thy faithful souls abiding, / Fit us for the realms above.

17When pale Death our souls shall sever, / May we merit virtue's prize; / May our souls exult for ever, / In the mansions of the skies. Amen. Alleluia.

18[This Sequence is said during the whole week.]

19Gospel. St John xiv. 23—31. At that time, Jesus said to his disciples, If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words: and the word which you have heard is not mine, but the Father's, who sent me. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you: but the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, do I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. You have heard that I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If you loved me, you would indeed be glad, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it shall come to pass you may believe. I will not now speak many things with you; for the prince of this world cometh, and in me he hath not any thing. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father hath given me commandment, so do I.

20[Credo.]

21Offertory. Confirm this, O God, which thou hast wrought in us; from thy temple, which is in Jerusalem, kings shall offer presents to thee, alleluia.

22Secret. Sanctify, we beseech thee, O Lord, the gifts we offer, and cleanse our hearts by the light of the Holy Spirit. Through our Lord, &c. in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, &c.

23[Preface. Qui ascendens, as in the Ordinary, page 19, with its Communicantes and Hanc Igitur, page 20.]

24Communion. There came suddenly a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind coming, where they were sitting, alleluia; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking the wonderful works of God, alleluia, alleluia.

25Postcom. Sancti Spiritus. May the infusion of the Holy Spirit cleanse our hearts, O Lord, and render them fruitful by the inward aspersion of his heavenly dew. Through our Lord, &c. in the unity of the same, &c.