Pentecost Sunday - Solemnity

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Sunday, 23 May 2010
Pentecost Sunday - Solemnity




Pentecost Solemnity

On the day of Pentecost when the seven weeks of Easter had
come to an end, Christ's Passover is fulfilled in the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit, manifested, given, and communicated as a divine
person: of his fullness, Christ, the Lord, pours out the Spirit in
abundance. (Ac 2:36)
On that day, the Holy Trinity is fully revealed. Since that
day, the Kingdom announced by Christ has been open to those who
believe in him: in the humility of the flesh and in faith, they
already share in the communion of the Holy Trinity. By his coming,
which never ceases, the Holy Spirit causes the world to enter into the
"last days," the time of the Church, the Kingdom already inherited
though not yet consummated.

We have seen the true Light, we have received the heavenly Spirit, we
have found the true faith: we adore the indivisible Trinity, who has
saved us. (Byzantine liturgy, Pentecost Vespers, Troparion, repeated
after communion)

The Holy Spirit - God's gift

"God is Love" (Jn 4:8.16) and love is his first gift, containing all
others. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit who has been given to us." (Rm 5:5)
Because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first
effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The
communion of the Holy Spirit (2 Co 13:13) in the Church restores to
the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.
He, then, gives us the "pledge" or "first fruits" of our
inheritance: the very life of the Holy Trinity, which is to love as
"God (has) loved us." This love (the "charity" of 1 Co 13) is the
source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have
received "power" from the Holy Spirit. (Ac 1:8)
By this power of the Spirit, God's children can bear much
fruit. He who has grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear "the
fruit of the Spirit: . . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."129 "We live by the
Spirit"; the more we renounce ourselves, the more we "walk by the
Spirit." (Ga 5:25)
Through the Holy Spirit we are restored to paradise, led back
to the Kingdom of heaven, and adopted as children, given confidence to
call God "Father" and to share in Christ's grace, called children of
light and given a share in eternal glory. (St. Basil, De Spiritu
Sancto, 15,36)



Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 731-736 - Copyright © Libreria
Editrice Vaticana







©Evangelizo.org 2001-2010


http://www.dailygospel.org/main.php?language=AM&module=saintfeast&localdate=20100523&id=13&fd=1

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