Much of the talk last week was about the new Vatican norms for the discernment of supernatural phenomena—apparitions especially, but not exclusively—presented at a press conference in Rome on Friday. The run-up to the presser […]
When Harrison Butker gave his now famous and controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College, he probably did not realize he was going to unleash the debate of the month (or longer). Even just one week […]
“Objection: The Scripture is plainly full of matters not dictated by the Holy Spirit. –Answer: Then they do not harm faith. Objection: But the Church has decided that all is of the Holy Spirit. Answer: […]
Pope Francis participates in Mass on the solemnity of Pentecost, May 19, 2024 / Daniel Ibanez/CNA
Rome Newsroom, May 19, 2024 / 08:15 am (CNA).
On the solemnity of Pentecost, Pope Francis said that Christians are called to proclaim the Gospel t… […]
More than 1,000 Catholics attend the Eucharistic Procession in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph / Tyler Arnold
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 19, 2024 / 07:30 am (CNA).
A crowd of more than 1,000 Catholics processed wit… […]
Holy Spirit stained glass in St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Alexey Gotovskyi/CNA
National Catholic Register, May 19, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Sunday, May 19, is Pentecost Sunday, and the Mass readings — Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; and John 20:19-23 — present a number of symbols of the Holy Spirit: strong, driving wind; tongues of fire; races united; and breath of Jesus on the apostles.
The Holy Spirit is like a strong driving wind, because the Holy Spirit has a clear direction and wants to take everyone there with it. A wind is an unseen force that refreshes; so is the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a tongue of fire; not a wildfire that destroys, not a stationary fire that we have to huddle next to, but a fire bestowed on us, which transforms what it touches.
The Holy Spirit unites people and breaks down barriers. When St. Peter speaks after receiving the Holy Spirit, he speaks with boldness, decisiveness, but also attractiveness, drawing many to the faith. He doesn’t condemn, insult, and disperse the people because of their weakness; he challenges them and calls them to greatness, each in his or her own language.
The Holy Spirit is the breath of God in us. He breathes on his apostles and gives them the ability to forgive sins. He breathes on us, too, and we also become his representatives. “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,” as the second reading says.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Nos. 694–700) mentions other symbols of the Holy Spirit worth considering:
The Holy Spirit is like water. Water fills all things; it is gentle like dew or strong like a flood; it seeps into what will let it, bringing life, and pushes aside what will not.
The Holy Spirit is an anointing, a sacramental seal. The Spirit marks us as God’s, incorporates us into his family, and connects us with his company of saints.
The Holy Spirit is like a cloud and light. The Spirit is like a cloud because God is a mystery and like light because “mystery” means he is too brilliant for us to fully comprehend.
The Holy Spirit is like a hand or a finger. He is a hand that works, reaches out, heals, and blesses.
The Holy Spirit is like a dove. A dove can fly high or walk lightly, and its beauty is subtle and calming.
You can also hear all of these symbols echoed powerfully in the 13th-century British prayer that St. John Paul II prayed when he visited Great Britain:
Wash what is unclean.
Water what is parched.
Heal what is diseased.
Bend what is rigid.
Warm what is cold.
Straighten what is crooked.
This story was originally published in the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, on May 15, 2016, and has been updated and adapted by CNA.
null / Credit: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
CNA Staff, May 19, 2024 / 05:00 am (CNA).
As assisted suicide and euthanasia continue to grow more common throughout much of the developed world, services like palliative and hospice care serve as a v… […]
Pentecost painting. / Credit: Public domain
Rome, Italy, May 19, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).
This weekend, the Church celebrates Pentecost, one of the most important feast days of the year, which concludes the Easter season and celebrates the birth … […]
Note: The following remarks were made at the II International Bioethics Conference, in Rome, on May 18, 2024. Many of the participants in this conference are experts in the life and thought of a great […]
Readings: • Acts 2:1-11 • Psa 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 • 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13, or Gal 5:16-25 • Jn 20:19-23, or Jn 15:26-27; 16:12-15 “Spirit and fire are united—a true miracle, air and […]
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