THE FEAST OF PENTECOST

1. THE FEAST OF PENTECOST SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013

2. IN YOUR NOTES, MAY SURE YOU ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING: • WHAT IS PENTECOST? • WHAT ARE THE 7 GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT? • WHICH GIFT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE MORE OF IN YOUR LIFE? WHY?

3. BEFORE WE BEGIN • Some symbols for the Holy Spirit are: • FIRE • WATER • WIND • What do these have in common? (Think of wildfires, oceans, and strong winds…) • ELEMENTS • UNPREDICTABLE • UNCONTROLLABLE • ALL-CONSUMING– THEY CAN GO EVERYWHERE FAST!

4. WHAT IS PENTECOST? • 50th day after Easter • The “birthday” of the Church • Acts of the Apostles chapter 2: • Story of the original Pentecost • Jews from all over were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast. • On that Sunday, ten days after the Ascension of Our Lord, the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary were gathered in the Upper Room, where they had seen Christ after His Resurrection: • Christ had promised His Apostles that He would sent His Holy Spirit, and, on Pentecost, they were granted the gifts of the Spirit. • The Apostles began to preach the Gospel in all of the languages that the Jews who were gathered there spoke, and about 3,000 people were converted and baptized that day.

5. Acts 2:1-11 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,they were all in one place together.And suddenly there came from the skya noise like a strong driving wind,and it filled the entire house in which they were.Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,which parted and came to rest on each one of them.And they were all filled with the Holy Spiritand began to speak in different tongues,as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heavenstaying in Jerusalem.At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,but they were confusedbecause each one heard them speaking in his own language.They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,as well as travelers from Rome,both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,yet we hear them speaking in our own tonguesof the mighty acts of God.”

7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the CHURCH! • On the Feast of Pentecost, special things happen!; • The Holy Spirit comes down • Christ's mission is completed • The New Covenant is inaugurated • St. Peter (the first pope) was already the leader and spokesman for the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday

9. 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 • Brothers and sisters:No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord;there are different workings but the same Godwho produces all of them in everyone.To each individual the manifestation of the Spiritis given for some benefit.As a body is one though it has many parts,and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,so also Christ.For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

10. THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT • WISDOM • UNDERSTANDING • COUNSEL • FORTITUDE • KNOWLEDGE • PIETY • FEAR OF THE LORD

11. Wisdom • Wisdom is the first and highest gift of the Holy Spirit • It is the perfection of faith • Through wisdom, we come to value what we believe through faith • The truths of Christian belief are more important than the things of this world • Wisdom helps us to love Creation for the sake of God, rather than just loving Creation for its own sake • Creation is a gift from God • At the same time, we must care for Creation

12. THE HOLY SPIRIT

13. WHAT IS ONE EXAMPLE IN WHICH YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS GIFT?

14. Understanding • Understanding allows us to grasp, at least in a limited way, the very essence of the truths of the Catholic Faith • Through understanding, we become certain about our beliefs

15. WHAT IS ONE EXAMPLE IN WHICH YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS GIFT?

16. Counsel • Counsel is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence • Prudence can be practiced by anyone, but counsel is supernatural • Through this gift, we are able to judge how best to act almost by intuition—the gut feeling inside of us that guides us in life • Because of the gift of counsel, we don’t need to be afraid of standing up for the truths of the Faith, because the Holy Spirit will guide us in defending those truths

18. WHAT IS ONE EXAMPLE IN WHICH YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS GIFT?

19. Fortitude • Fortitude is both a gift of the Holy Spirit and a cardinal virtue • Fortitude gives us the strength to follow through on the actions suggested by the gift of counsel • Fortitude is sometimes called courage, but it goes beyond “normal” courage • Fortitude is the virtue of the martyrs that allows them to suffer death rather than to give up our Christian Faith

21. WHAT IS ONE EXAMPLE IN WHICH YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS GIFT?

22. Knowledge • Knowledge is NOT the same as Wisdom and Understanding • Like wisdom, knowledge is the perfection of faith • BUT although wisdom gives us the desire to judge all things according to the truths of the Catholic Faith, knowledge is the actual ability to do so Like counsel, it is aimed at our actions in this life • In a small way, knowledge helps us to see the situations and road signs of our life the way that God sees them • Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can determine God's purpose for our lives

23. WHAT IS ONE EXAMPLE IN WHICH YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS GIFT?

24. Piety • Piety is the perfection of the virtue of religion • Religion means a “binding together” of people in faith • “Religion” refers to the willingness to worship and to serve God • Piety gives us a desire to worship God and to serve God out of love

26. WHAT IS ONE EXAMPLE IN WHICH YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS GIFT?

27. Fear of the Lord • No other gift of the Holy Spirit is so misunderstood • Fear of the Lord confirms the theological virtue of hope • It doesn’t mean that you’re “afraid” God is going to do something bad • This gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the desire not to offend God • It makes us certain that God will supply us the grace that we need in order to keep from offending Him • Our desire not to offend God is out of love

28. WHAT IS ONE EXAMPLE IN WHICH YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS GIFT?

29. Jn 20:19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week,when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,for fear of the Jews,Jesus came and stood in their midstand said to them, “Peace be with you.”When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the Holy Spirit.Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,and whose sins you retain are retained.”

30. Do the words Jesus says in this passage sound familiar? • The priest says them in Mass! • After Jesus dies, He sends the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, to remind the disciples of what Jesus has taught them AND to teach them new things • The Holy Spirit is with us today, guiding us in many ways! • Jesus “breathes” on them the Holy Spirit • Wind is a symbol for the Spirit • God also breathes life into the first human in Genesis

32. AND NOW… PENTECOST IN 2 MINUTES!