Bulletin: 25 May 2025, The Sixth Sunday of Easter, Rogation Sunday
The Sixth Sunday of Easter: Rogation Sunday
25th May 2025
The 6th Sunday of Easter is known traditionally as Rogation Sunday. Rogation Days were special days of prayer before Ascension Thursday. The prayers were for God’s blessing for the fields to bear fruit. The priest and people would walk through their fields praying and blessing their crops. The sequence of Rogation Days leading up to Ascension encouraged communities to prepare for God’s new creation of heaven and earth.
Hymns
*695 - God of mercy, God of grace
*S30 - Don't build your house on the sandy land
*97 - Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
*549 - Dear Lord and Father of mankind
Collect Two
O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The First Reading Acts 16: 9-15
A reading from…
During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm Psalm 67
1 God be gracious to us and bless us ♦︎
and make his face to shine upon us,
2 That your way may be known upon earth, ♦︎
your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; ♦︎
let all the peoples praise you.
4 O let the nations rejoice and be glad, ♦︎
for you will judge the peoples righteously
and govern the nations upon earth.
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; ♦︎
let all the peoples praise you.
6 Then shall the earth bring forth her increase, ♦︎
and God, our own God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us, ♦︎
and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
The Second Reading Revelation 21: 10, 22 - 22: 5
And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honour of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practises abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.
The Gospel Reading John 14: 23-29
Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.
Collect Of The Word
Bountiful God,
you gather your people into your realm,
and you promise us food from your tree of life.
Nourish us with your word,
that empowered by your Spirit we may love one another
and the world you have made,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Service Pattern
Turlough Parish Church:
Saturdays weekly at 7pm. Holy Communion on 2nd and 4th of month; Morning Prayer on 1st and 3rd Sundays.
Christ Church Castlebar:
Sundays weekly at 10am – Holy Communion on 1stand 3rd of month; Morning Prayer, 2nd and 4th, followed by tea.
Holy Trinity Westport:
Sundays weekly, currently in St Mary's Church, South Mall, at 12 noon, followed by tea/coffee in Carrowbeg House.
St Thomas's Dugort, Achill:
Sundays weekly (April to Sept incl.) at 3pm
Midweek Holy Communion, Wednesdays at 10.30am in St Mary’s Church, South Mall, followed by coffee in Clew Bay Hotel (from 11.05 am).
Notices
Wednesday 28 May
· Midweek Holy Communion, 10.30am in St Mary’s Church. S. Mall, followed by coffee in Clew Bay Hotel (from 11.05 am).
· Online Prayer and Bible Study, 8pm. Link available in advance on the website (aughaval.tlk.ie), or on request. Contact details below.
Concert, 'Illumination, A Sacred Opus’
by Kathy Fahey, Friday 30 May at 8pm in St Mary’s Church, Westport, with Vocalessence Ladies’ Choir, Mayo Concert Orchestra, Andrew Gavin, and Anne Marie Gibbons. Book your ticket (20 euros) on Eventbrite or donation at door. All proceeds towards Holy Trinity Church restoration.
Sunday Club and Holiday Club planning:
Thurs 5 June, 7pm in home of Steffi and Paul. For all Youth and Children’s team members from the Aughaval Parishes.
Movie Night at the Rectory, Westport
Friday 6 June, 7pm. Please let Revd Suzanne know if you plan to come along, for planning purposes. There will be tea, and more!
Gentle Friendship Walk
Thurs 12 June, meeting at Christ Church Castlebar at 7pm. All welcome.
Holiday Bible Club
Sat 21 June, from 10am. A half day fun-and-faith-building event for children. Details to follow (after 5 June). Please save the date!
Pastoral care and enquiries:
Phone 083 800 3233
Email aughaval@tuam.anglican.org
Website aughaval.tlk.ie
See also the Aughaval Parishes Facebook page.
