Pentecost: Writing the Church's Birthday Card

Pentecost is one of the great feasts of the Church. It marks the end of the Easter season and celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. It is sometimes referred to as the birthday of the Church. It focuses on the role and importance of the Holy Spirit as the bringer of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.

The term 'Pentecost' comes from a Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which was held at the close of the grain harvest fifty days after the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During the fifty days spent celebrating the resurrection there was no kneeling for prayer and no fasting. This time was looked upon as one great Sunday.

Then, in the fourth century, the fiftieth day came to be regarded as the seal at the end of this period, with the Ascension of the Lord and the Descent of the Holy Spirit as twin themes. By the fifth century, the two distinct feasts of Ascension (after forty days) and Pentecost (after fifty days) had emerged. A rite of Baptism at the vigil of Pentecost, at which candidates wore white robes, gave rise to the term "Whit/Sun" in England.

In the Acts of the Apostles, St Luke paints a vivid picture of the first Pentecost. The Apostles were all gathered in one place when the Spirit descended upon them, an event accompanied by dramatic sights and sounds. There was a terrifying noise and a strange light like tongues of fire, and those present were given the gift of speech in foreign languages. Whoever heard them preaching about the marvels of God, did so in their own native language. Clearly, Luke wanted to convey the truth that the Church carries out its mission in the power of the Spirit.

Throughout the Old Testament, the term "spirit" is used to signify the inner life force of a being. It is most intimately associated with God as the giver of the breath of life and is generally the chief term for the inner essence of a person, what one might call the life force.

Jesus called the Spirit, the 'Paraclete', which literally means "he who is called to one's side". Paraclete is often translated as "consoler", and Jesus was the first consoler. However, the role of consoler is often associated with the female gender which has led to the Spirit being sometimes called "the feminine face of God".

Whatever about the theology of the Spirit - and there is a wealth of literature on the subject - it was at Pentecost that the Church was shown to the world by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is the age of the Church, during which Christ shows, makes present and communicates his work of salvation until he comes again. Happy Birthday!