PENTECOST:

THE BIRTH OF THE

CHURCH
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1 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[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
When the time for
Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one
place together. And
suddenly there came
from the sky a noise
like a strong driving
wind, and it filled the
entire house they were
in.
Then, there appeared
to them tongues as of
fire, which they parted
and came to rest on
each one of them and
they were filled with the
Holy Spirit and began
to speak in tongues, as
the spirit enabled them
to proclaim.
The name Pentecost comes from the Greek word
“pentekoste” which means fiftieth.

The Pentecost is the third major Jewish feast that celebrated

initially the harvesting of the grain and later the giving of the
law to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

In Christian perspective, the Pentecost is the feast

celebrated fifty days after Easter and ten days after the
Feast of the Ascension
Pentecost is very significant event in
the lives of the apostles. This is the
event when Jesus fulfilled His
promise to them: “I will ask the
Father, and He will give you
another Advocate, to be with you
always, the Spirit of Truth” (John
14:16).
You will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes upon you, and
you will be my witness in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria, and
to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8)
The Holy Spirit descended upon the
apostles by means of strong wind and
tongues of fire. After they became
courageous and powerful in their witnessing
and proclaiming of the Good News.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter said,

“Repent and be baptized, every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins and you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts
2:38)
The Holy Spirit’s
empowerment to the
apostles made them
courageous messengers
and witnesses of the Good
News of salvation. They
baptized, they forgave sins,
and they restored life in God
in people and shared the
saving love of God to all.
The Holy Spirit, is the breath
of the mutual love of the Father
and the Son gave birth to the
Apostolic Church on Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit is the Giver of

Life, the Helper (Paraclete), the
Inspiration, the Advocate, and
the Counselor. Her arrival signifies
the start of the mission of Christ.
The Holy Spirit gives us His seven gifts which help us to live our
friendship with God. The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
1. Wisdom- to direct our thoughts, words, and actions to
follow Christ and His teachings
2. Understanding- to enlighten our minds to comprehend
the mysteries of salvation with faith and love
3. Counsel- to guide us to live according to the will of the
Father at all times
4. Fortitude- to give us the strength to face the challenges
of our day-today life
5. Knowledge- to teach us God’s ways so that we may walk
in His truth and love
6. Piety- to move our hearts to prayer and true love of God
and neighbor
7. Fear of the Lord- to make our hearts docile to the
promptings and inspiration of the Holy Spirit
The first great living work of the Holy Spirit, the “Giver of
life”, is the Church. Therefore, the best way to introduce the
Church’s nature and mission is to focus on Christ.
“Christ is the light of all nations, and it is by proclaiming His
Gospel to every creature that the light of the Christ which
shines out visibly form the Church, maybe brought to all men
and women.”
SUMMARY
The Pentecost event describes how everyone can
understand the message of the risen Christ. This is made
possible through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The descent of
the Holy Spirit empowers us to proclaim the Good news to
all the world.
REFERENCES:
• Afire with Gratitude: We become a Trinitarian Church
pages 77-81