Happy Pentecost, everyone, from BLACKCATHOLIC!
With the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, the Paschal Mystery of Easter is complete. That is why the Easter season formally ends at the close of Pentecost, or have we forgotten that Pentecost is also an Easter celebration as well? Just as at Mass the one Sacrifice of Christ is re-presented on the altar and His atoning Death, and Resurrection are celebrated, today in, a spiritual way, we might be able to say that on Pentecost we “make present again” the out-pouring of the Spirit upon the disciples gathered together in the Upper Room through our gathering as disciples together at our parishes, chapels and even homes with virtual Mass for those who cannot be present physically (we haven’t forgot about you!). This might be true even as the Church has never lost the Holy Spirit when He was given to her 2000 years ago. So, on this special day we celebrate that very moment pointing to its reality once more through His presence in our lives today and in our work building up the coming Kingdom of God.
I close with the Word of God:
Acts 2:1-12 (NIV)
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”