Pentekostos

The meaning of Pentecost

The word "Pentecost" comes from the Greek word "pentekostos," which means "fiftieth"

and occurs fifty days after Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

We all studied the Holy Spirit's gifts and fruits as we prepared for our Confirmation. It is good to review our knowledge of the paraclete as we approach Pentecost, the celebration of the Church's founding and the day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in Jerusalem. It marks the start of the evangelizing work of the Church.

Pope Francis on The Acts of The Apostles

Fifty days after Easter, in that Upper Room which is by this time their home and where the presence of Mary, the Lord’s mother is the bonding factor, the Apostles experience an event that exceeds their expectations. Gathered in prayer — prayer is the ‘lung’ that gives breath to the disciples of all times; without prayer one cannot be a disciple of Jesus, without prayer we cannot be Christian! It is the air, it is the lungs of Christian life — they are surprised by God’s irruption. It is an irruption that does not tolerate what is closed: it thrusts open the doors through the strength of a wind that recalls ruah, the primordial breath and fulfills the promise of “power” made by the Risen One before he takes his leave (cf. Acts 1:8). Suddenly from on high, “a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2).

Pope Francis

General Audience, 19 June 2019

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

"When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. A divided tongues as of a fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4

Pope Francis on Pentecost

"The Church is thus born from the fire of love and from a “fire” that blazes on Pentecost and manifests the power of the Word of the Risen One imbued with the Holy Spirit. The new and definitive Covenant is no longer founded on a law that is written on two stone tablets, but on the action of the Spirit of God which makes all things new and is etched on hearts of flesh."

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Pope Francis

General Audience, 19 June 2019

"The Holy Spirit wants us to be together; he makes us Church and today – here is the third and final aspect – he teaches the Church how to walk. The disciples were cowering in the Upper Room; the Spirit then came down and made them go forth. Without the Spirit, they were alone, by themselves, huddled together. With the Spirit, they were open to all. In every age, the Spirit overturns our preconceived notions and opens us to his newness. God, the Spirit, is always new! He constantly teaches the Church the vital importance of going forth, impelled to proclaim the Gospel. The importance of our being, not a secure sheepfold, but an open pasture where all can graze on God’s beauty. He teaches us to be an open house without walls of division. The worldly spirit drives us to concentrate on our own problems and interests, on our need to appear relevant, on our strenuous defense of the nation or group to which we belong. That is not the way of the Holy Spirit. He invites to forget ourselves and to open our hearts to all. In that way, he makes the Church grow young. We need to remember this: the Spirit rejuvenates the Church. Not us and our efforts to dress her up a bit. For the Church cannot be “programmed” and every effort at “modernization” is not enough. The Spirit liberates us from obsession with emergencies. He beckons us to walk his paths, ever ancient and ever new, the paths of witness, poverty and mission, and in this way, he sets us free from ourselves and sends us forth into the world."

Homily of Pope Francis, Pentecost June 2022

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The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

1830 The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

1831 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David.109 They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.

Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.110

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God . . . If children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.111

1832 The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. the tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity."112

Catechism

Article 7 The Virtues

III. The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

The Effects of Confirmation

1302 It is evident from its celebration that the effect of the sacrament of Confirmation is the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of Pentecost.

1303 From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace: - it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! Father!";115 - it unites us more firmly to Christ; - it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us; - it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;116 - it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross:117

Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. Guard what you have received. God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts.118

1304 Like Baptism which it completes, Confirmation is given only once, for it too imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the "character," which is the sign that Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the seal of his Spirit by clothing him with power from on high so that he may be his witness.119

1305 This "character" perfects the common priesthood of the faithful, received in Baptism, and "the confirmed person receives the power to profess faith in Christ publicly and as it were officially (quasi ex officio)."120

Catechism

Article 2 The Sacrament Of Confirmation

III. The Effects Of Confirmation

Saint Pope John Paul II on Confirmation

Through this anointing, the confirmand fully receives that gift of the Holy Spirit which he had already received in Baptism in an initial and fundamental way. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “a seal is a symbol of a person (cf. Gn 38:18; Song 8:6), a sign of personal authority (cf. Gn 41:42), or ownership of an object (cf. Dt 32:34) ...” (CCC, n. 1295). Jesus himself says that “God the Father set his seal” on him (Jn 6:27). And so we Christians, having been incorporated into the Body of Christ our Lord by faith and Baptism, are marked by the seal of the Spirit when we receive this anointing. The Apostle Paul explicitly teaches this in speaking to the Christians of Corinth: “It is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has commissioned us; he has put his seal upon us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee”

(2 Cor 1:21-22; cf. Eph 1:13-14; 4:30).

John Paul II,14 October 1998

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From a catechetical instruction by St Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop

(Cat. 16, De Spiritu Sancto 1, 11-12, 16)

In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of his action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvellous.

The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to interpret holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one man’s self-control, shows another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of asceticism, makes another oblivious to the needs of the body, trains another for martyrdom. His action is different in different people, but the Spirit himself is always the same. In each person, Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.

The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console. The Spirit comes to enlighten the mind first of the one who receives him, and then, through him, the minds of others as well.

Let us pray

Come, Creator Spirit, enlighten our minds,

fill our hearts with your grace, guide our steps,

grant your peace to our world.

Amen.

Pope Francis, Homily on Pentecost, 2024