Sunday Meditation: Feast of Pentecost

With Pentecost we conclude the Easter season: Easter Sunday plus forty days to the Ascension plus ten days to the descent of the Holy Spirit, which is Pentecost.  Forty plus ten is fifty, and Pentecost in Greek means fiftieth.  There is more detail in the Book of Acts, but the Gospel comes from the Gospel of John. 

On the evening of that first day of the week,

when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,

for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in their midst

and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “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.”

~Jn 17:11-19

At Pentecost the revelation of the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity is made manifest. Dr. Brant Pitre explains the Jewish roots of Pentecost.

 

Hopefully today you have concluded your Pentecost Novena?  My Pentecost novena included the wonderful “Come Holy Spirit” prayer.

Come Holy Spirit, 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 Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Sunday Meditation: And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

 

Your Mass should include the “Veni, Sancte Spiritus” sequence, hopefully performed by your choir.  With English translation.