Dr Jeanette Pinto –
The Feast of the Pentecost event happened after Easter or the Resurrection, when the other followers of Jesus Christ were celebrating the Feast of Weeks in Jerusalem.
It happened like this. Firstly, the Apostles were all with one accord in one place.
Secondly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Thirdly there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. The day commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit the third person of the Blessed Trinity, upon the Apostles and Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. We learn about it in the Acts of the Apostles, leading to the beginning of the Christian Church.
The Feast of the Pentecost is of great spiritual importance to all in the Catholic church and indeed all of Christendom. It reminds them of how Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit and that was fulfilled. Does this mean that the Holy Spirit came into active play only after Pentecost? What about the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? Was the Holy Spirit known only to people of the New Testament?
Let us acquaint ourselves with the Spirit’s activity in scripture in the Old Testament. What the Hebrew Bible calls “Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Elohim” is called in the Talmud and Midrash “Holy Spirit” (ruach ha-kodesh).
The Holy Spirit’s powerful role can be found in Isaiah’s prophecy of the servant of the Lord (42:1-9). It tells of the intimate interworking of the Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The expression of the “Holy Spirit” also occurs in Ps 51:10 wherein the psalmist says, ‘Create a pure heart in me, O God; and put a new and loyal spirit in me’.
The Holy Spirit participated in creation, see Gen.1:2, ‘……when everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water.’ Genesis also tells us that the Spirit gives life to humanity and other creatures.
God endows man with life by breathing into his nostrils the “breath of life” (Gen 2:7) The word for “breath” is the same word translated as “Spirit”. The Spirit also inspired holiness in Old Testament believers, like David when he prayed to do the will of God;(Ps. 143:10) and scripture promised that someday God would put His Spirit into His people in a way that would cause them to live according to His statutes (Ezek. 36:27)
How about the gifts of the Spirit? Are they mentioned in the Old Testament? Indeed, they are, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. It tells of a new king who will arise from among David’s descendants, and mentions the gifts he will receive from ‘the Spirit of the Lord’.
These gifts are present in their fulness in Jesus Christ but are found in all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive them when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us – as for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily.
In the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon certain judges, warriors, and prophets in a way that gave them extraordinary power; for example, Joshua (Num.27:18) and Samson (13:25; 14:6) and many others. There are several other similar examples of the power and workings of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.
What does the Holy Spirit do? Firstly, the works of redemption is done by all three Persons of the Holy Trinity in the salvation of souls. It touches the lives of Christians who all share in one common goal; to make us more like Jesus Christ. He convicts us of sin, leads us to repentance and renews our minds to be Christ like.
Is it not the Holy Spirit that inspired Isaiah to prophesy: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him” (Is. 12-2), inspiring God’s Chosen One with wisdom understanding and counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord, righteousness, and faithfulness? We come full circle to the New Testament where Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of this prophesy. (Is. 61:1,2; Luke 4:18-19) So there are ample examples to indicate that the Spirit was active in the Old Testament.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) became the largest movement in the United States founded in February 1967 by two Theology professors William G. Storey and Ralph W. The CCR emphasised the work of the Holy Spirit, claimed spiritual and physical healings associated with the power of the Holy Spirit working through believers, gifts and modern-day miracles as an everyday part of a believer’s life.
The prayer services are enthusiastic and involve energetic singing, hand clapping and praying with outstretched arms. Pentecostalism emphasises the work of the Holy Spirit and the direct experience of the presence of God by the believer. Importantly, the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost emphasized the tripersonal relationship of Love – it is truly an inexhaustible mystery.
Dr. Jeanette is former Principal of Sophia College, member of the Human Life Committee and a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church, Chembur – Mumbai