Pentecost Sunday - June 12, 2011

Happy Birthday, Church! 

Quick!  Can you name the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit?  You already have them.  They were a birthday gift from God the Holy Spirit. 

They are:  Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.    The Catholic Education Resource Center The Catholic Education Resource Center   has a very thorough explanation of the gifts, along with their corresponding Seven Virtues.  The simplest explanation in my opinion, though, remains the Baltimore Catechism.  Officially, these are listed in reverse order, but I want to keep things simple. 

1) Wisdom - gives us a desire for the things of God, and to direct our whole life and all our actions to His honor and glory.  

2) Understanding - enables us to know more clearly the mysteries of faith.

3) Counsel - warns of the deceits of the devil, and of the dangers to salvation.

4) Fortitude - strengthens us to do the will of God in all things.

5) Knowledge - enables us to discover the will of God in all things.

6) Piety - makes us love God as a Father, and obey Him because we love Him.

7) Fear of the Lord - fills us with a dread of sin. 

Because the feast of Pentecost was once traditionally the day to observe the sacrament of Confirmation, it was also known as White Sunday (Whitsunday or Whitsun), as a nod to the white garments worn by the newly confirmed.  Today, we as a church are more likely to wear the color red, to represent the fire of the Holy Spirit alive in our hearts.      

Don’t just celebrate this major feast at church, though.  Start a new tradition at home.  The three symbols of Pentecost are fire, wind, and a dove.  You could use a red tablecloth at dinner, or cook with fire (on the grill), or just treat yourself to some Dove brand chocolates.  A cake would be appropriate, as it’s the birthday of the church.  How about a red velvet cake?  For a healthier twist, you could make a fruit salad using 7 fruits (or 12, for the apostles).  There are no rules, and plenty of opportunity for some creativity in the kitchen.   The Catholic Cuisine blog has some very nice ideas for celebrating Pentecost at your table, including a beautiful cake with seven flames representing those gifts of the Holy Spirit which we all share.

If you have small children, here is a nice pattern for making pinwheels.  Use red construction paper (of course!), and decorate them with drawings or stickers of flames or doves.  Children can then make their own “strong, driving wind” to celebrate Pentecost.