Opening Prayer – Pentecost
Come Holy Spirit
Breathe in us
Fill our hearts
Dwell in our soul
Ignite our path
Send us out on fire!

Journal/Reflection Questions
Acts 2:1-11
• Where is the Holy Spirit driving you? How do you open yourself up to the mission you are called to in your life?
• What is changed about the apostles after they are visited in the upper room? What can we take from this experience? Imagine yourself there…how does it change your perspective?
Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
• Each person is given a different gift of the Holy Spirit. Can you identify the gift(s) you have been given?
• Consider…God will judge upon how we use the gift(s) you were given, not on the gift(s) you wish you had. All gifts are equal in the eyes of God. Let go of any jealousy you might cling to because someone else has a gift you would like to possess.
John 20:19-23
• In the Old Testament, God “breathed” His breath into Adam. What significance does this word have here in this reading? What is the correlation between the two scriptures?
• When Jesus returned to the disciples, his first words were “peace be with you”. One cannot find peace within without the help of the Holy Spirit. Seek the Spirit and you will find peace. What do the disciples do to begin their journey of finding peace? How are they an example to us on how to live with the Holy Spirit?

General Questions for Journaling
• Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit? Where was it? Did you feel it inside of you? Did you see it working around you?
• Jesus said He didn’t leave us alone; He sent an Advocate, a Comforter. How do you know you are not alone?
• What can you do to build a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit?
• What action steps are needed for you to let the Spirit into your life and help you be filled?
• What excuses do you make to keep the Holy Spirit from entering into your being? What obstacles stand in your way of a meaningful relationship with the Holy Spirit?
• What qualities of the Holy Spirit do you possess? What qualities of the Holy Spirit would you like to fill you?
• In Galatians 5, St Paul tells us what it means to “live in the Spirit”, what can you do to cultivate these qualities in your life?
• How do you communicate the faith with others? What language do you speak with your words and actions?

Closing Prayer
Leader: We see but we cannot see.
ALL: Holy Spirit come…open our eyes!
Leader: We hear but we cannot hear.
ALL: Holy Spirit come…open our ears!
Leader: We feel but we cannot feel.
ALL: Holy Spirit come…open our hearts!

Challenge for the Week: The celebration of Pentecost is also known as the Birthday of the Church; it is when we received the Holy Spirit and were sent to celebrate the Gospel. The secular world “bought into” the Church celebrations of Christmas and Easter but Pentecost is just as important as those two holidays. Think about it, without Pentecost, where would Christians be today? Make plans to celebrate Pentecost this week. Wear something red, check out a book about the Holy Spirit from the library (there are many of them), make a birthday cake, call a friend who is filled with the Spirit and makes you feel alive! OR you could plan to do some random acts of kindness this week and live out the phrase, “they will know they are Christians by their love”!