We will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost on June 6 this year. This is one of the greatest events of the Bible. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples with flames of fire. Each of them were filled with such spiritual power that he was driven into the street to proclaim the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ with conviction. 

            The day of Pentecost was the fulfillment of the prophecy that the Lord would pour out His Spirit upon all people, old and young, masters and servants, and everyone from the four corners of the world.  This was a marvelous thing. Before this, the Holy Spirit was given to special prophets while they prophesied. But once they proclaimed their message by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit left them. 

Then, at His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord Jesus Christ. This fulfilled the prophecy that the Holy Spirit would rest upon the Messiah, giving him the gifts of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. From that time, the Holy Spirit never left Him.

            In the same manner, the same Holy Spirit that have descended upon Jesus now descended on the disciples at Pentecost. They also received the power and gifts of the Spirit. Like Jesus, they had the Holy Spirit as a permanent possession.

            We too have this same Holy Spirit. How has the Holy Spirit descended upon us? It came to us when we were “chrismated” at our baptism. “Christmation is the sacrament of the “seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  The priest anoints our body with sacred oil and this anointing becomes a means by which the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us. 

            This “christmation” is our personal Pentecost.  We should know and believe that the Holy Spirit and His gifts are ours because of this sacrament.