PENTECOST
Liturgical Notes:

Pentecost

On the fiftieth day after Passover - in Greek, "Pentecost" - there was celebrated in Jerusalem the feast of the Gathering, and from all the corners of the globe the Jews assembled in Pilgrimage, in memory of God's gift of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The apostles, the Virgin, a few relatives of the Lord, and a few women were assembled in the upper room. Around nine o'clock in the morning God appeared to them as he had appeared to Moses on Sinai, in the midst of a storm and with violent wind; his Spirit settled upon them in the form of tongues of fire which rested on their heads. The Spirit gave them the power to evangelize the world by means of the new assembly of God's people, the Church. As a sign that God had now firmly established his Church, the gospel was understood by all who were present though they spoke different languages and came from all races and nations. This work of God's grace may be compared to what happened to people of Babel, who spoke one common language and yet, because of their sin, were no longer able to understand each other.

At Pentecost, although the people spoke diverse languages, they understood the single language of the apostles. This is clearly a symbol of God's call to all people to unity and mutual understanding. That is why the feast of Pentecost and the season which follows it invites us to meditate on the "One, holy, Catholic Church" which the Spirit has sanctified and which Christ founded on the apostles. Let us ask the Lord to grant us the Spirit and the gifts that come from him, so that we may be true children of God and his Church, and zealous apostles willing to spread the gospel of Christ; to him be glory for ever. Amen.