Pentecost is a Jewish festival that occurs 50 days after Passover. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and is one of the most important feast days in the Christian faith. The Holy Spirit arrived with seven gifts for the Apostles that are also received through the sacrament of Confirmation: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. On Pentecost, about 3,000 people converted after hearing the Apostles preach empowered by the Holy Spirit.

2. The word Pentecost comes Pentecost is also called
from the Greek language Whitsunday especially in
and means fiftieth. the United Kingdom.
Pentecost was one of three The term
important Jewish festivals Whitsunday
and all males were means white
required to appear before Sunday and
God. is a reminder
Pentecost was celebrated of the white
on the fiftieth day after robes given
the second day of the to those who
Festival of Unleavened were
Bread or the Passover. baptized at
It is celebrated 10 days after the Easter
the Ascension. Vigil.

3. Pentecost is also know as
the feast of weeks.
It occurs seven weeks after
the beginning of the
harvest (Lev 23:10–11;
Deut 16:9) and it also
coincides with the giving
of the law to Moses on
Mt. Sinai.
The feast has its beginning
in the Torah, the
Pentateuch or the first
five books of the Bible
and is mentioned in four
of those five books.

4. Returning to Genesis 1:2 This time using Greek, the
The earth was without language of the New
form and void, and Testament, the word is
darkness was upon the translated as breath, wind or
face of the deep; and the spirit.
Spirit of God. . .” Why is this important, because it
In Hebrew, the language of shows the Holy Spirit as part of
the Old Testament, the the Trinity and at the very
word used for spirit is beginning of creation and now
breath, wind or spirit. the Holy Spirit is found at the
Jumping ahead to the Acts very beginning of the Church
of the Apostles, often just when the apostles began
called “Acts,” we read, teaching or preaching the
“2:2 And suddenly a world.
sound came from heaven Remember, Jesus said “I am with
like a rush of a mighty you always, to the close of the
wind, age. (Mt. 28:20)”

5. The Holy Spirit arrived with seven
gifts for each of the apostles, the
same gifts transmitted to us
through the sacrament of
Confirmation.
The Catechism of the Catholic
Church 1831 identifies these gifts
as:
1. wisdom,
2. understanding,
3. knowledge,
4. counsel,
5. fortitude,
6. piety and
7. fear of the Lord.

6. Our Life
The choice of living a Spirit filled Wouldn’t it be wonderful to
life is ours. understand the scriptures not just
We need to grow in our faith and with your own brain power but
to listen to the Holy Spirit’s with the direction of the Holy Spirit
voice within us so that He can as He speaks to us through the
direct and guide us. Church’s Magisterium?
Many of us struggle with difficult Those are the gifts of wisdom,
decisions such as career paths understanding and knowledge.
and relationships only to find Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have
that the Holy Spirit has been the courage to stand up for
directing us but we have Christian values with your
ignored him. friends?
He is with us always and offers That’s fortitude and piety
us counsel, but we need to
listen and pray don’t we?

7. Fear of the Lord
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to stand
up for your moral and religious
convictions against those who
would lead you into sin?
That’s called “Fear of the Lord,”
loving Him so much you are
willing to show your respect for
Him by living the Ten
Commandments.

8. 3000 Coverts
After the Resurrection baptize and pass on the
Jesus appeared to 11 Holy Spirit to 3,000 who
frightened men behind converted on that day.
locked doors “for fear of
the Jews. (Jn. 20:19)
And now on Pentecost
when each is filled with
the gifts of the Holy Spirit
they have the courage to
surrender their will to the
Spirit and they convert

9. The Willingness to Try
Are you willing to say to the
Holy Spirit, “Do what you
want with me. I
understand it is for the
glory of the Lord and my
own good.
Sure you will make
mistakes but when you
learned to walk you fell
down but you didn’t quit
trying to do better did
you?

10. The Voice
• Sometimes we call that • The choice of your
little voice inside a behavior is yours,
conscience, it’s really because God loves you
the Holy Spirit giving so much He has given
you wisdom, you a free choice.
understanding, • When you make a
knowledge, counsel, decision you can act on
fortitude, piety and fear the whim of the moment,
of the Lord in your with reason or the best
present situation by listening to the Holy
Spirit within you.