The Meaning of Pentecost

Two important events followed Easter Sunday. Last Sunday, we celebrate the ascension of Christ. The history of the church would have been different if there was no ascension. Jesus said, He is going to heaven and prepare a place for us and he will return to bring us to where He will be. Without the ascension, the first Christians would have been demoralized and evangelization would have difficult.

The second important event is the Pentecost. It is focused on the other special happening; the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles 50 days after resurrection. The apostles began to speak different languages. This miracle is called glossolalia. The coming of the Holy Spirit was stressed in the Acts of the Apostles (Chapter 2 verses 1to 11) and in the gospel of St. John (Chapter 20 verses 19 to 23) in connection with our mission to evangelize. Pentecost means the birth of the Church. All of us, not only the clergy and the religious are encouraged to proclaim the good news. The Lord’s instrument for evangelization is the Church and all of us are expected to do our share.