Pentecost: The Coming of the Holy Spirit
The Solemnity of Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles. At His Ascension, celebrated 40 days after Easter, the Lord promised that He would send the Spirit [the Paraclete] to His Apostles to fill them with His life, His Spirit, so that they will be able to courageously and faithfully proclaim His Gospel and give witness to Him. On Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit with His seven-fold gifts.

The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, holy fear of the Lord, counsel, piety, and fortitude. These same gifts, given to Mary and the Apostles at Pentecost, were given to each of us at Baptism and sealed, or poured forth in abundance upon us at Confirmation. By nature, the gifts are supernatural “habits” because they dispose us to do something easily. They incline us to steadily and constantly follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.