O God, who on this day didst instruct the hearts of thy faithful by the light of thy Holy Spirit: grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and to rejoice in his comfort always, through the Lord
Latin:
Deus, qui hodierna die corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de eius semper consolatione gaudere, per Dominum.
Gelasian Sacramentary
Introit: The Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: Halleluah.
Ps: Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered ...
Epistle: Acts 2: 1-13. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come...
Gradual: Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created ...
Gospel: John 14: 23-31. ... if a man love me he will keep my words
The day is called Whitsun-day in the English and is also known as Pentecost from Greek for the 50 days after the Passover when the Jews celebrated. In our Lord's day there was a remembrance of the gift of the Ten Commandments, which came traditionally 50 days after the first Passover in Egypt. Notice how this collect reflects the Gospel. A few verses before the place where ours begins, Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter"
I am always amazed by those who claim "Love trumps Truth" as to say that his commandments mean little; we are only to "love" and that is the essence of Jesus. They say that those who do not keep his words are to be fully included because "all we need is love". No! The beginning of love is a fear of the Lord and the desire to keep his words -- the Commandments and the Summary of the Law. So it is always appropriate that we too recount those Commandments - his word - on this special day. The proof of our love for him is in our heart's true desire and our will to keep his word, and to recognize our sin when we fall short. That is certainly the instruction of the Holy Ghost throughout scripture and the very words of our Savior. I have no doubt that those 3,000 who received his gift that day were instructed in Truth , not perversion, and fortified to live by this teaching, and not to indulge in sin. This innovation of the post-modern church is a heresy and is the broad way that leads to Perdition
This prayer recounts one special day- Pentecost In the first English translation this "day" was dropped and "time" substituted. The Holy Ghost came to teach. To teach means to discipline. Those who are God's elect are the recipients of both his instruction and his discipline. There cannot be one without the other. The Holy Ghost brings the Light of God as he abides with God's folk. He is the spark of the new creation-the Light to a dark world, the fire that battles against the evil one.
Now we ask in our day that the Father send to us that same Spirit that we also may be wise in the way of Salvation. Note the word "true" modifies wise. There is a wisdom of this wold that leads to eternal death and one of God's true Wisdom that leads to eternal life. Grant this petition to the end that we may rejoice always in the gift of God in the presence of his Comforter -- being always sure of his promise for his elect--eternal felicity in his presence.
An homily of Augustine on John
http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/whitsunday_07.htmlFinis
(Portions were paraphrased and passages cited from The Collect of the Day, by Paul Zeller Strodach, 1939, The United Lutheran Press, Philadelphia) http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/s/t/r/strodach_pz.htm
The Ancient Collect: Its history and form
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