For us Catholics, Pentecost is best described in the second chapter of Acts which we heard in the first reading today. Pentecost, sometimes called the “Feast of Weeks,” was an old Jewish feast celebrated 50 days after Passover. It was a time of the spring wheat harvest where the first fruits were offered to God. It was also a time to celebrate the covenant between God and the Jewish people on Mt. Sinai. In the New Testament, Pentecost took on the meaning of a “new covenant” where the harvesting of souls is celebrated. Pentecost, for us, marks the end of the Easter season, but is also the birthday of the church, the day on which the infant church began to expand. Pentecost marks the beginning of the work and activity of the Holy Spirit. Before His ascension, Jesus promised that He would not leave us orphans--that He would send the Holy Spirit who would teach us all things, remind us of all things and help us to carry forward Jesus’ mission on earth. In a most unique way, Pentecost is the feast of the Holy Spirit.
Today, the Spirit’s activity in the Church and in our souls should awaken us all over again. We need to give more attention to the Holy Spirit, who dwells in our soul. Since baptism, the Spirit has made our body and soul a house of God. How differently we would lead our lives if we would remember that the Holy Spirit is within us! In today’s Gospel, we hear three things: First, Jesus offers us Peace—not just “well wishes,” but true peace that comes from following Him. Second, He tells us to “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Again, not just another party favor, but a commissioning! Third, He entrusts to us, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them…” All of a sudden, everything becomes clear to His disciples and hopefully to us. Their life was not ending, but just beginning. This man they followed for the past 3 years was no longer with them, but His message and His example was. The Holy Spirit, then, gave them the strength to carry on the mission. They were no longer to be timid and afraid.
Pentecost is our day, too. It’s the day when we should be reminded of the Gospel we heard last weekend, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” and how we should draw strength and purpose from the Holy Spirit to carry out that mission. That Gospel was not written to relate an historical event. It was written as if Jesus was standing before us with those same words today. Joy should fill our hearts today as we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. In the Preface of today’s Mass (and on no other occasion) we hear the words, “Wherefore the whole world rejoices with unrestrained joy.” How fortunate we Christians are! We feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as if we can see those tongues of fire hovering over our heads. So let us pray fervently: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful!”