Pentecost literally means 50th. It is a feast celebrated on the 50th day after the Passover feast by the Jews and a feast celebrated on the 50th day after the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus by Christians. The Jewish Pentecost was originally a post-harvest thanksgiving feast. Later, the Jews included in it the remembrance of God’s Covenants with Noah after the Deluge and with Moses at Mt. Sinai.
The role of the Holy Spirit in Christian life is
1) As an indwelling God, the Holy Spirit makes us His Living
Temples (I Cor 3:16).
2) As a strengthening God, He strengthens us in our fight against temptations and in our mission of bearing witness to Christ by our
transparent Christian lives.
3) As a sanctifying God, He makes us holy through the Sacraments:
a) Through Baptism He makes us children of God and heirs of Heaven.
b) Through Confirmation, He makes us temples of God, warriors, and defenders of the Faith.
c) Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, He enables us to be reconciled with God by pardoning our sins.
d) Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, He gives us spiritual nourishment by converting bread and wine into Jesus’ Body and Blood through Epiclesis.
e) Through the Sacraments of the priesthood and matrimony, He makes the Church community holy.
4) As a teaching and guiding God, He clarifies and constantly reminds us of Christ’s teachings and guides the Magisterium of the Church to teach Christ’s teachings correctly.
5) As a listening and speaking God, He listens to our prayers, enables us to pray, and speaks to us, mainly through the Bible.
6) As a Giver of gifts, He gives us His gifts, fruits, and charisms, thus
enriching the Church.
Submitted by Fr. Joseph Dovari