* I just updated and revised my post from last year, adding a few new ideas and fixing some of the links… Here is the updated version!
The feast of Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity. “It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.”
Here is a list of ideas that could be done for this day!
(Disclaimer: We will not get to all of these (more like just a few!), but I thought I would share the ideas with you just the same!)
Prayer:
- Pentecost Sunday Mass.
- Sing Veni Creator Spiritus (aka: Come Holy Ghost).
- Say some of these Prayers for Pentecost.
Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Ghost, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Ghost we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Food/Snacks:
- You can find a list of ideas I posted last year over at Catholic Cuisine.
- Since Pentecost is also known as “Whitsunday,” and one tradition is to serve white foods, we will be having powdered sugar doughnuts and white hot chocolate with breakfast and an afternoon snack of milk and Macaroons.
- Amy’s family always enjoys Holy Ghost Sopas.
- Set the table with a red tablecloth and white plates.
- Another dinner suggestion is to serve Cornish Game Hens (representing the Dove), Pasta Alfredo (white), and Cauliflower (white).
- Here is a link to all the posts at Catholic Cuisine labeled Pentecost.
- Cornish game hens sound like too much work, so I think I am going to go with the “Red-Hot Theme” for dinner this year. Maybe some grilled shrimp (it’s red!) and veggies? That way hubby can cook! 😉
- I’ve really been craving fruit all week, so I definitely plan on making a Twelve-Fruit Salad this year!
- For dessert, A Cake for Pentecost, complete with the mighty wind to blow out the candles. This was a hit last year, and I plan on making it again!
Reading:
- Read Song of Songs 2:8-17 for the Garden of the Good Shepherd
theme of the day: The Dove.
- Read about The Descent of the Holy Spirit pages 226-227 in the New Catholic Picture Bible
.
- Read The Very First Christians
.
- Read I Believe: The Nicene Creed
.
- Read
The Twelve Apostles
by Marianna Mayer.
- Read Apostles of Jesus
by Father Lovasik.
Copy work:
My Lord and My God!
–traditional Eucharistic exclamation.
Craft:
- Make a centerpiece. Cut out seven flame shapes from either felt or construction paper and label them with the names of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost.
- Make the Pentecost kite found in The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions
- Make Dawn’s Pentecost Windsock!
- Here is a cute Holy Spirit Mobile. (pdf)
- This Pentecost Spinner looks like fun!
Activities:
- Do a Pentecost Cross Word Puzzle, Decoder, Word Jumble, Word Search, or a Twelve Disciples Word Search.
- Color this Pentecost Coloring Page, or any of these.
- Don’t forget the beautiful Pentecost coloring page to be found in Fenestrae Fidei: A Coloring Companion for Catholic Mosaic!
- Even more great resources for Pentecost can be found here!
- Go fly a kite! Wind is one of the symbols of Pentecost, so what better way to experience the wind than to fly a kite? If a kite is too much work, Pinwheels would be fun too!
- Play “Who Has the Fire?”
Who Has The Fire?Introduce game: What flickered around the disciple’s heads, but didn’t burn them? Fiery flames.
Need: Orange construction paper balled up to be the fire.
Directions: The children sit in a circle close together. The child who is “It” stands away from the circle and hides their eyes while the fire is passed around. When “It” says “STOP!”, the child holding the fire hides it (under their leg, up their sleeve, etc.). The child who is “It” guesses who has the fire. The child who had the fire is now “It”.
What are your plans for Pentecost? I would love to hear any ideas that you all have as well!
WOW! I appreciate you sharing your gifts, all the info gathered and ideas generated.
VENI, VENI
PAX – Lena
Thank you so much for all the wonderful ideas. It will make the day even more special. God Bless.
Pentecost is our big day, Jessica! I am so anticipating my First Communion I am not sleeping well. 🙂
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Jessica,
Thank you again for all the wonderful ideas!
That cake looks fabulous – I think I will make one on Sunday.
~Angela
This is awesome Jessica! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing these ideas! I love the Pentecost cake.
I have always been confused about the gifts of the Spirit vs. fruits of the Spirit… there are seven gifts and 12 fruits? Why are they listed in two different categories? I must have been daydreaming when they went over this in my Catholic school, lol.
Erin ~ It is a bit confusing! After you mentioned that, I noticed I mixed up the two for one of the craft ideas! Oops! =)
Anyhow, the 12 Fruits of the Holy Ghost are the effects of the 7 Gifts of the Holy Ghost. I think that is why they are on two separate lists.
All 12 fruits of the Spirit should at some point after receiving the Spirit be evident in a person's life. However, the gifts of the Spirit are ways through which God sometimes chooses to do the miraculous in the midst of his people. There is no guarantee that everyone will be used in the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:11), but everyone should show the fruits of the Spirit.