Pentecost Sunday

Today is Pentecost Sunday, with Christmas and Easter, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity . It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations. 

Today at Mass, particularly at holy Communion, the power of the Holy Spirit will come down upon us; fiery tongues will not be seen, but invisible tongues of fire will not be absent. There was still another external manifestation of the Holy Spirit; the apostles and disciples were enabled to speak various languages.

The prayer we pray all year round comes into its own on Pentecost. Once more, with feeling, we call upon the Holy Spirit to help us in all manner of ordinary or great endeavors:

Come, Holy Spirit, 
fill the hearts of thy Faithful; 

and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

Send forth Thy Spirit
and they shall be created,
and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

We know well by faith that the Holy Spirit is the love that the Father and the Eternal Word bear one to the other; and therefore the gift of love which the Lord infuses into our souls, and which is the greatest of all gifts is particularly attributed to the Holy Spirit.

 As St. Paul says, "The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who is given to us" (Romans 5:5).

Here's a novena, therefore, that we must consider, above all, the great value of divine love, in order that we may desire to obtain it, and endeavor, by devout exercises, and especially by prayer, to be made partakes of it, since God has promised it to him who asks for it with humility: "Your Father from heaven will give the good Spirit to them that ask Him" (from My Prayer Book, by Father F. X. Lasance). 
Novena to the Holy Spirit


According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and descriptions outlined by St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica, these are the seven gifts of the Holly Spirit. Click the link to read more of the  Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Source/Reference: Catholic Culture, 7gifts of the Holy Spirit
Image source: Photobucket.com