DAY OF PENTECOST
(Whit Sunday)
22nd May 2026
Greetings,
At school, languages were not my strong suit, which is something I've long regretted as I'm fascinated by words, their origins and connections. In the reading from Acts (2.1-21) for this Whit Sunday, we hear of the apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaking in diverse languages and tongues. The event recalls the story of the Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis when, human beings, for grasping at equality with God, were dispersed across the earth and confused with a babble of different languages. In both stories, we can see that differences of language, whilst potentially an obstacle to unity can also be a rich source of diversity. For the Church to be truly Universal, or Catholic, as we say in the Creeds, there must always be a desire and longing to reach out beyond the confines of our own language and culture. I am reminded of the story (possibly apocryphal) of an American who disparaged a modern translation of the Scriptures, saying, if the King James Version was good enough for St. Paul then it's good enough for me. We might laugh but then we also forget that English, as an established vehicle of Christian faith and spirituality, is a phenomenon of the last 500 years only. Our inheritance of faith was rooted and developed in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin and how much richer we would be if we were resourced to explore it in those tongues and cultures. Pentecost is a reminder of this catholic inheritance and an occasion to seek the inspiration of the Spirit to go beyond the comfortable and familiar, and to encounter God in what seems strange and unknown, for whether in language, culture, or relationship, that is the way that we grow.
In recent years, on the Day of Pentecost, in imitation of the Apostles, some of us have prayed the The Lord's Prayer in various different languages at our services and I hope we will be inspired to do so again this Sunday. Versions in Aramaic (the language of Jesus), Latin, Welsh, Spanish, Italian, German and French are printed below, but don't be restricted by my selection. In the past we've heard the Lord's Prayer in languages as diverse and ancient as Cherokee and Old Anglo-Saxon!
May you be richly blessed in the Spirit this Pentecost,
Charles Booth
The Lord's Prayer in Aramaic
Abun di bashmaya nethqadash shmak.
(Our Father ……. hallowed be thy name)
Tethey malkuthak.
(Thy Kingdom come)
Newe tzevyanak aykan di bashmaya af ba’ara.
(Thy will be done on earth as in heaven)
Lakhman di sunkanan yamana hav lan yoma dheyn.
(Give us this day our daily bread)
Wa-shbuk lan khavine aykana, d’af hanan shbukan l’khayvine.
(And forgive us …. As we forgive those who …)
Ulo ellan lanisyana l’heyn atzel lan min beesha.
(And lead us not ……. But deliver us …)
Amin.
The Lord's Prayer in Latin
PATER noster, qui es in cœlis;
sanctificetur nomen tuum:
Adveniat regnum tuum;
fiat voluntas tua, sicut in cœlo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie:
Et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:
et ne nos inducas in tentationem: sed libera nos a malo.
Quia tuum est regnum, et potestas, et Gloria, in saecula. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer in Welsh
Ein Tad yn y nefoedd,
sancteiddier dy enw;
deled dy deyrnas;
gwneler dy ewyllys,
ar y ddaear fel yn y nef.
Dyro inni heddiw ein bara beunyddiol,
a maddau inni ein troseddau,
fel yr ym ni wedi maddau i'r rhai a droseddodd yn ein herbyn;
a phaid â'n dwyn i brawf,
ond gwared ni rhag yr Un drwg.
Oherwydd eiddot ti yw'r deyrnas a'r gallu a'r gogoniant am byth. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer in German
Vater unser im Himmel,
geheiligt werde dein Name;
dein Reich komme;
dein Wille geschehe, wie im Himmel so auf Erden.
Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute.
Und vergib uns unsere Schuld,
wie auch wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern;
und führe uns nicht in Versuchung, sondern erlöse uns von dem Bösen.
Denn dein ist das Reich und die Kraft und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer in Italian
Padre nostro, che sei nei cieli,
Sia sanctificato il tuo nome;
Venga il tuo regno;
Sia fatta la tua volonta,
Come in Cielo, cosi in terra.
Dacci oggi il nostro pane quotidiano;
E rimetti a noi I nostril debiti,
Come noi li riemttiamo ai nostri debitori;
E non ci undurre in tentazione
Ma liberaci dal male. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer in French
Notre Père, qui es aux cieux,
Que ton nom soit sanctifié,
Que ton règne vienne,
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
Comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal,
car c'est à toi qu'appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire, aux siècles des siècles. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer in Spanish
Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos
Santificado sea tu Nombre
Venga tu reino
Hágase tu voluntad
En la tierra como en el cielo
Danos hoy el pan de este día
y perdona nuestras deudas
como nosotros perdonamos nuestros deudores
y no nos dejes caer en al tentación
sino que líbranos del malo. Amen.
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