The Descent of the Holy Spirit
The Descent of the Holy Spirit is the third Glorious Mystery of the Rosary. At Pentecost, the disciples receive the Spirit promised by Christ and begin to proclaim the Gospel. People from many nations hear them in their own languages.
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Scripture
Acts 2:1-4
Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
Spiritual fruit: gifts of the Holy Spirit
The promised Spirit is given
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples. Acts describes a sound like a powerful wind and tongues as of fire resting on them. They begin to speak as the Spirit enables them, and people from many nations hear the proclamation in their own languages. The third Glorious Mystery celebrates the fulfillment of Christ's promise and the Church's public witness to the risen Lord.
Read Acts 2:1–41 for the wider account, including Peter's preaching and the response of those who hear him. Acts 1:14 describes the disciples praying together with Mary before Pentecost. Their waiting is prayerful and communal. The gift they receive is God's initiative, preparing them to carry the Gospel beyond the room where they have gathered.
The fruit of the gifts of the Holy Spirit
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord means reverence for God and a desire to avoid offending him. The gifts sustain the Christian life; they are named in the Catechism, §1831.
A difficult decision may lead us to pray especially for counsel. When a duty has become costly, we ask for fortitude to persevere. The gifts can be considered in relation to the concern we bring before God, while remembering that the Holy Spirit knows our needs more fully than we do.
Pentecost also invites prayer for the unity of the Church. People gathered in Jerusalem hear the apostles in their own languages. In a parish where several languages are spoken, the effort to understand one another can be part of living that same faith. We pray for help in it, and for communities whose worship is threatened by persecution.