St. Paul Parish Catholic Church

The Solemnity of Pentecost

"Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth." (Psalm 104)

Although Pentecost comes at the end of the Easter Season, one could say that the celebration of Easter doesn't end without some display of fireworks! Acts 2:1-4 describes what happened to the Apostles at the time of Pentecost.

"When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim."

This image of the Holy Spirit descending upon the disciples is perhaps one of the most well known scenes from the Bible. How do we live the meaning of the emanation of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in our everyday lives? The Catholic Church helps us do this through the living and reliving of the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.

Living and Reliving our Faith

New candidates into the Catholic Church receive their first initiation into the Christian faith thru Baptism. Parents and godparents of infants and of the very young take on the promise and responsibilities of bringing up their children into the Catholic faith, and adult candidates with their sponsors to guide them, promise to keep their faith in Christ. For those of us already baptized, we have a chance to renew our baptismal promises, at Easter Vigil and during all Baptismal celebrations.

After Baptism, the Neophytes (newly baptized) go through a period of Mystagogia, a period of deep reflection on the meaning and grace of their entry into the faith. Everyone can relive this period anytime and all the time through reflection on the Word of God, meditation and prayer, examination of our conscience, reconciliation, and through the celebration of the Eucharist.

In the final step of Christian initiation, the Candidates receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, where they publicly announce their faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit is invoked to guide them and give them counsel as they go forth to share and proclaim to all their faith in Christ. We can only receive the sacrament of Confirmation once, but to proclaim and share our faith as the disciples did, to follow the commandments, to forgive others and love one another as Jesus did, these are what we can do continuously throughout our daily lives. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will descend upon those who do the good works of Christ, who keep the commandments, and who follow in Jesus' footsteps. The Holy Spirit will be our counsel, our Advocate for always.

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him."(John 14)

"The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Jesus tells them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20)

So let the fireworks begin! Let's go out and proclaim our faith, do good deeds, love one another and let the Holy Spirit descend upon us all!