The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Pentecost is the feast that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles and marks the end of the Easter season. The name comes from the Greek pentēkostē, meaning "fiftieth" because it is celebrated fifty days after Easter. On this occasion the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church are commemorated and remembered. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, he sends his disciples a power—the Holy Spirit— a force to enable them to be his personal witnesses in the world.