Happy Pentecost Sunday!
Plus Living Liturgically and the Madonna del Sacro Monte Procession...
We have just completed 50 days since Easter leaving behind the joyous season of Paschal tide and officially into the season of Pentecost.
The Christian Pentecost corresponds calendrically to the Pentecost of our Israelite ancestors, a day which came 50 days after Passover. The Old Covenant Pentecost was known as Shavu'ot (also called Hag ha-Bikkurim or "Festival of Weeks"), which is the celebration of Firstlings. 1 This feast was commanded by God and is recorded by Moses:
Leviticus 23:15-22
You shall count therefore from the morrow after the sabbath, wherein you offered the sheaf of the firstfruits, seven full weeks. Even unto the marrow after the seventh week be expired, that is to say, fifty days, and so you shall offer a new sacrifice to the Lord. Out of all your dwellings, two leaves of the firstfruits, of two tenths of flour leavened, which you shall bake for the firstfruits of the Lord. And you shall offer with the leaves seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one calf from the herd, and two rams, and they shall be for a holocaust with their libations far a most sweet odour to the Lord. You shall offer also a buck goat for sin, and two lambs of the first year for sacrifices of peace offerings. And when the priest hath lifted them up with the leaves of the firstfruits before the Lord, they shall fall to his use. And you shall call this day most solemn, and most holy. You shall do no servile work therein. It shall be an everlasting ordinance in all your dwellings and generations. And when you reap the corn of your land, you shall not cut it to the very ground: neither shall you gather the ears that remain; but you shall leave them for the poor and for the strangers. I am the Lord your God.
His Holiness St. Peter, witnessing the events of the Pentecost, recalling the darkness of Good Friday, and foretelling the coming destruction of Jerusalem forty years hence, saw this as a fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel:
Joel 2:28-32
I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Moreover upon my servants and handmaids in those days I will pour forth my spirit. And I will shew wonders in heaven; and in earth, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood: before the great and dreadful day of the Lord doth come. And it shall come to pass, that every one that shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved: for in mount Sion, and in Jerusalem shall be salvation, as the Lord hath said, and in the residue whom the Lord shall call
Aside from the dove, there are other symbols for the day: the liturgical color red representing the Holy Ghost, the color white representing the white robes of the Catechumens, red and/or white flowers, lots of greenery to symbolize life (the color green represents hope and life and, in Eastern Churches, the Holy Ghost), fire, the number three representing the Theological Virtues given to us by the Holy Ghost, the number seven representing the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, the number 12 representing the Fruits of the Holy Ghost, etc. -- all of these symbols could be incorporated into the day's festivities. The columbine flower, as well, has been used to decorate on Pentecost and its octave: the petals of the flowers are dove-shaped, whence comes its name -- after "columba," the Latin word for "dove."
In medieval times, families in many parts of Europe would suspend a carved and painted wooden dove over their dining table. Such a custom could be easily revived throughout the Octave of the Pentecost -- and imagine that dining room table covered with a white tablecloth, sprinkled with red rose petals, and with a vase of columbine at its center. Imagine having Pentecost Sunday dinner with Bach's Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 playing in the background, a cantata he wrote for this day:
On this day, as on 1 January, a plenary indulgence can be acquired, under the usual conditions, by reciting the "Veni, Creator Spiritus" (Come, Holy Spirit), a prayer attributed to Rabanus Maurus (A.D. 776-856). It is prayed during the liturgy today.1
Reminder: Today is the day you wipe away the chalk from the blessing of your home on the Feast of the Epiphany.
Here is a new mission opened for Mary. The Church is born; she is born of Mary. Mary has given birth to the bride of her Son; new duties fall upon the Mother of the Church. Jesus has ascended into heaven, leaving Mary upon the earth, that she may nurse the infant Church. Oh! how lovely and yet how dignified, is this infancy of our dear Church, cherished as she is, fed, and strengthened by Mary! But this second Eve, this true Mother of the living, must receive a fresh infusion of grace to fit her for this her new office: therefore it is that she has the first claim to, and the richest portion of, the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Heretofore, He overshadowed her and made her Mother of the Son of God; now He makes her the Mother of the Christian people…. The Spirit of love here fulfils the intention expressed by our Redeemer when dying on the cross. “Woman!” said Jesus to her, “behold thy son!” St. John was this son, and he represented all mankind. The Holy Ghost now infuses into Mary the plenitude of the grace needful for her maternal mission. From this day forward, she acts as Mother of the infant Church; and when, at length, the Church no longer needs her visible presence, this Mother quits the earth for heaven, where she is crowned Queen; but there, too, she exercises her glorious title and office of Mother of men.
Let us contemplate this master-piece of Pentecost, and admire the new loveliness that beams in Mary from this new maternity with respect to the Church. She is inflamed by the fire of divine love, and this in a way not felt before. She is all devoted to the office put upon her, and for which she has been left on earth. The grace of the apostolate is granted to her. She has received the tongue of fire; and although her voice is not to make itself heard in public preaching, yet will she speak to the apostles, directing and consoling them in their labors. She will speak, too, to the faithful, but with a force, a sweetness, and a persuasiveness, becoming one whom God has made the most exalted of His creatures. The primitive Christians, with such a training as this, will have vigor and energy enough to resist all the attacks of hell, and, like Stephen who had often listened to her inspiring words, to die martyrs for the faith.
— Dom Prosper Gueranger, The Liturgical Year
The Sisters of Carmel offer this beautiful reflection on the 7 Gifts of the Holy Ghost for your reflection today and this season. They also recommend reading this book by the former Archbishop of Mexico City and first official Primate of Mexico, Luis Martinez, on True Devotion to the Holy Spirit.
As we journey through the Liturgical Year we highly recommend this interview with Matthew Plese on celebrating Feast days and restoring the lost Catholic Customs of the Liturgical Year. Matthew has recently compiled a series of essay on this subject, Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom.
Finally, we check in with our friends in New Jersey who are celebrating Madonna Del Sacro Monte and held their annual procession yesterday.
https://www.fisheaters.com/customseastertide7.html