Pentecost Sunday
Pentecost Sunday concludes the Easter Season, and on that day, the Church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. It is the celebration of the Father’s sending of the Holy Spirit, and not of the Holy Spirit himself. Just as the Church does not have a feast of God the Father or God the Son, neither does she have a feast of God the Holy Spirit. The feast of Pentecost needs to be seen in light of the Paschal Mystery of Christ.
So, on Pentecost, we hear in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles about what happened on Pentecost day itself and how the Spirit descended upon the disciples and how they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Another reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians speaks of there being different gifts, but the same Spirit and of how all were baptized into one body and how all were given to drink of one Spirit. Another reading speaks of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then, the gospel, which in all three cycles is from the gospel of John, speaks of various dimensions of the sending of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, the preface for the Mass of Pentecost speaks of how it is right to give thanks to God for bringing the Paschal mystery to completion, for bestowing the Holy Spirit, and for uniting his adopted children with the Only Begotten Son.
Source: Rev. Kurt Belsole, OSB, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, PA
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