Pentecost Sunday is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, celebrated early
enough to be mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and in St. Paul's First Letter
to the Corinthians. It is the 50th day after , and it replaces the Jewish feast of
Pentecost, which took place 50 days after the Passover and which celebrated the sealing
of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai.
The Acts of the Apostles recounts the story
of the original Pentecost: Jews from all over were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate
the Jewish feast. On that Sunday, ten days after the , the Apostles and the Blessed
Virgin Mary were gathered in the Upper Room, where they had seen Christ after His
Resurrection. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming,
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them
parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were
all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according
as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. Christ had promised His Apostles that He would
sent His Holy Spirit, and, on Pentecost, they were granted the . The Apostles began
to preach the Gospel in all of the languages that the Jews who were gathered there
spoke, and about 3,000 people were converted and that day.
That is why Pentecost
is often called "the birthday of the Church." On this day, with the descent of the
Holy Spirit, Christ's mission is completed, and the New Covenant is inaugurated.
Father
Jim Brand reflects on this special Feast for the Church and for all of us… Listen...
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