THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (PENTECOST SUNDAY)

Pentecost Sunday celebrates the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ, fifty days after His Resurrection and ten days after His Ascension (Acts 2:1–41). In remembrance of this event, Christians solemnly celebrate Pentecost each year because, theologically, this day is considered the birth of the Church, as it was then that Jesus’ disciples were revealed, through the Holy Spirit, “the things concerning the Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, including the Apostles of Jesus (Acts 1:15), and, according to the Acts of the Apostles, they received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues (glossolalia), a phenomenon noticed by the Jews and proselytes who were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks. As a result, on that same day, after St. Peter’s sermon, three thousand (3,000) people were baptized, becoming members of the Christian Church (Acts 1:13–15; 2:1–41).

Pentecost began to be celebrated as early as the time of the early Church, either in the Temple in Jerusalem along with the Jews (Acts 20:16), or separately. According to the Church Fathers and ecclesiastical writers from the second half of the 4th century, there is mention of its celebration even from the apostolic age, when baptisms of catechumens were performed on this day. For this reason, the hymn is still sung today: "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ..."

It is important not to believe that the Holy Spirit has the form attributed to Him in icons, because every represented form is purely symbolic. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove. He did not appear to add something to Christ, but symbolically, to show what was already present in Christ: purity, innocence, and peace—these being symbolized by the dove. When the apostles gathered on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of tongues of fire, to remove from them all sin, weakness, fear, and spiritual impurity, and to grant them power, light, and the flame of faith. These are symbolized by the tongues of fire. We know that fire is powerful, it gives light and warmth. But when we speak about the Holy Spirit, we must not think materially, but spiritually. Thus, reference is made to spiritual power, spiritual light, and fervent zeal—that is, to strong will, an enlightened mind, and the zeal of love. With these spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit endowed the disciples of Christ so that they could face the world. “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:20)

Through what happened on Pentecost Sunday, the disciples of Christ fully understood Jesus’ mission in the world, and therefore no longer hid, but began to preach the Resurrection of their Teacher. The spiritual graces that filled the apostles’ hearts with will, faith, and love can also become our own spiritual tools, so that, by understanding the power and nature of our faith, we can face the present with trust in God.