Browsing Padre's Blog

Fifty Days Have Past

The term "Pentecost" comes from the Greek word pentekostos, meaning fiftieth, from which one of the most important feasts in the Jewish calendar derives its name. Fifty days after Passover, the Jews celebrated Sukkot--the "Feast of Harvest"  (The word Sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah, meaning booth or hut. The sukkah is reminiscent of the type of fragile dwellings in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt) .

Centuries later, after their exile to Babylon, Jewish Pentecost became one of the great pilgrimage feasts of Judaism, when Diaspora Jews returned to Jerusalem for worship. Since about the second century, Christians have celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit fifty days after the death and resurrection of Jesus, on the Jewish feast of Pentecost, and with His descent the birth of the church. After Christmas and Easter, Pentecost marks the most important celebration of the Christian calendar.

Pentecost is the culmination of an experience in order to be the beginning of another. It was for the apostles; it should be so for us. We should celebrate, on this day, the coming of the Holy Spirit in our lives, his definitive presence within us from our baptism, and his constant coming upon us, time after time, as we call on him and open ourselves in faith to receive him.  The Spirit brings us to know Jesus, so  we can proclaim him and so help others to know him. Our responsibility is to collaborate with the Spirit to prepare us for this mission every day of our lives. We must walk with him faithfully and, in his power, seek to bring Jesus to all humanity. Each time I receive a new credit card, there is a little sticker that says "Activate before Using!"  Today we call on God's Holy Spirit to fill us with gifts beyond measure that we might brings His message to the world.  This is what we really have to celebrate at every Pentecost.

In one of the most widely used hymns in the church, Veni, Creator Spiritus, attributed to the German Benedictine monk and priest Rabanus Maurus (776–856), Christians around the world have sung, "Come, Creator Spirit!" Any time is a good time to pray that prayer, but no time is more appropriate than Pentecost Sunday

Subscribe

RSS Feed

Archive


Access all blogs

Subscribe to all of our blogs