This Sunday is called Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost literally means 50th. It is a feast celebrated on the 50th day after the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus by Christians.
There were 4 important and unique events which happened on the day of Pentecost:
1. The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary as fiery tongues. The frightened apostles were transformed into fiery preachers and evangelisers and were given the gift of tongues by a special anointing of the Holy Spirit.
2. The listeners experienced a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit through the apostles’ gift of tongues: they heard Peter speaking in their native languages.
3. The early Christians became powerful witnesses and brave martyrs for their Faith in Jesus.
The Holy Spirit plays a huge role in our lives as Christians. Some of these roles are:
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: Through Baptism He makes us children of God and heirs of Heaven. Through Confirmation, He makes us temples of God, warriors, and defenders of the Faith. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, He enables us to be reconciled with God by pardoning our sins. Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, He gives us spiritual nourishment by converting bread and wine into Jesus’ Body. Through the Sacraments of Ordination and Marriage, 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 Church in presenting 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, thereby enriching the Church.