entecost [<Gr. πεντηκοστή, ‘fiftieth day’] is a feast of the universal Church celebrated 7 weeks after Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles that occurred during the harvest festival of firstfruits, or Shavout, described in the Book of Acts:

And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost… (Acts 2:1-4)

In his book on meditations, Divine Intimacy, Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen explains,

Pentecost is the plenitude of God’s gift to men. On Christmas Day, God gives us His only-begotten Son, Christ Jesus, the Mediator, the Bridge connecting humanity and divinity. During Holy Week, Jesus, by His Passion, gives Himself entirely for us, even to death on the Cross. He bathes us, purifying and sanctifying us in His Blood. At Easter, Christ rises, an His Resurrection, as well as His Ascension, is the pledge of our own glorification. He goes before us to His Father’s house to prepare a place for us, for in Him and with Him, we have become a part of the divine Family; we have become children of God, destined for eternal beatitude.

But the gift of God to men does not end there; having ascended into heaven, Jesus, in union with the Father, sends us His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. … By His descent upon the Apostles under the form of tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit shows us how He, the Spirit of love, is given to us in order to transform us by His charity, and having transformed us, to lead us back to God. (Meditation 189)

Pentecost is also called Whitsunday [<M.E. whitsonday <O.E. hwīta sunnandæg, ‘white Sunday’], in reference to the white garments of those baptized during its vigil. It has been celebrated by many different customs in different cultures:

In Italy it was customary to scatter rose leaves from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues; hence in Sicily and elsewhere in Italy Whitsunday is called Pascha rosatum. The Italian name Pascha [Pasqua] rossa comes from the red colours of the vestments used on Whitsunday. In France it was customary to blow trumpets during Divine service, to recall the sound of the mighty wind which accompanied the Descent of the Holy Ghost. In England the gentry amused themselves with horse races. The Whitsun Ales or merrymakings are almost wholly obsolete in England. At these ales the Whitsun plays were performed. At Vespers of Pentecost in the Oriental Churches the extraordinary service of genuflexion, accompanied by long poetical prayers and psalms, takes place. … On Pentecost the Russians carry flowers and green branches in their hands. (Catholic Encyclopedia)

Pentecost is also the occasion for one of my favorite hymns, Veni Creátor Spíritus:

Veni Creátor Spíritus, Mentes tuórum vísita: Imple supérna grátia, Quæ tu creásti pécora.

Come, O Creator, Spirit blest, And in our souls take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heavenly aid, To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

It calls to mind not only the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, but also the donations of the Holy Ghost in our own lives — initiated during Baptism and renewed during Confirmation.

May this Feast of Pentecost inspire us to new works of charity, and may we be blessed with a new outporing of the Holy Ghost in our souls.

See also:

• Pentecost (Wikipedia)
• Pentecost (Catholic Encyclopedia)