Jesus knew that unless the Father sent the Holy Spirit to the first Christians, his teachings and memory would soon fade. Only God’s Spirit would be able to keep the Gospel message burning in the hearts of Jesus’ followers. The Holy Spirit filled the hearts of the disciples and enabled them to teach and preach with great courage about Jesus of Nazareth and all that took place through his life, death, and Resurrection.

On the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which was a harvest festival, God sent the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. With the infusion of the Spirit, the disciples grew strong and courageous in their commitment to Jesus and his teachings. The gifts of the Spirit made it possible for Jesus’ first followers to bring the Gospel message to the world.

Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the Church, because it was on this day that the Spirit was sent to the disciples and the Church was born.

Family Activity

	Identify with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit by making bookmarks together.

	•		The gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, right judgment, courage, reverence, and wonder and awe. You may choose to replace these words with words that mean the same thing but might be easier to understand.
	•		Distribute the materials needed to create bookmarks.
	•		Place the bookmarks in a book frequently used as a reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the gifts we receive.

See the Liturgical Calendar on this site for additional information.
See also Catechist—Lent or Teacher—Lent for Liturgy.