Pentecost: My “Back to Church” Anniversary
How a reflection on Pentecost turned into a deeper understanding of the Holy Trinity
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Initiated on June 5, 2022, Pentecost Sunday
Pentecost Sunday in the liturgical calendar marks 50 days after Easter Sunday and closes out the Easter season [1]. It is an important day for Christian believers. It is often referred to as the “birthday of the church”.
On a personal level, Pentecost Sunday is a particular day of commemoration for me. It marks the date when I returned, and got closer to my Catholic faith. Looking back, my return was not just a coincidence. I am convinced that my attending mass on that not so distant date, was a manifestation of the power of the Holy spirit, an example of God’s care for little old me, a perpetual sinner.
Let me share some thoughts with you about my personal and theological understanding that makes this Sunday Pentecost a super special time. I consider it a spiritual date with God, that year after year. It is a date that I look forward to and for which I am extremely grateful.
The gospel of John tells us that on that day, Jesus rejoins the disciples who were gathered in a small room, perhaps a dark one, with doors locked, perhaps a simple, windowless space, a place for hiding and self protection. Jesus reappears to the disciples and gives them the extraordinary gift of the Holy Spirit [2].
21 [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.”
Gospel of John: 20:21–22
But does it mean to give such a gift? The Holy Spirit is not a material entity. It is the third person of the Holy Trinity, a key belief of the Catholic faith and of many other Christian denominations. The Nicene creed [3] helps us proclaim our belief in our triune God. God exists in three, coequal, coeternal consubstantial divine persons that share one essence. For the non-believer the concept of the Trinity is hard to grasp, may even appear as a statement of polytheism. But it is also hard for believers to fully understand.