Pentecost Sunday
Jesus appears to his disciples and gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The season of Easter concludes with the feast of Pentecost. The word Pentecost is of Greek origin and means “50th day.” On Pentecost, fifty days after Easter, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem. This event marks the beginning of the Church, the birthday of the People of God.
The risen Christ appears to the disciples who are huddled behind locked doors. He offers the simple greeting: “Peace be with you,” the greeting we offer one another at every Eucharistic celebration. Jesus commissions his disciples to continue the work that he has begun, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
