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May 22, 2021Pentecost Sunday is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, celebrated early enough to be mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (20:16) and Saint Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (16:8). It supplants the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after the Passover and which celebrated the sealing of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai.
For Christians, Pentecost is the 50th day after Easter (if we count both Easter and Pentecost). That means that it is a moveable feast—a feast whose date changes every year, based on the date of Easter in that year. The earliest possible date for Pentecost Sunday is May 10; the latest is June 13.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
On Pentecost Sunday, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, they were granted the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Those gifts helped them to fulfill their mission to preach the Gospel to all nations. For us, too, those gifts—granted when we are infused withsanctifying grace, the life of God in our souls—help us to live a Christian life.
The 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit (which are given fully to us in the Sacrament of Confirmation) are:
Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Fortitude
Knowledge
Piety
Fear of the Lord
