As we have already seen, in the early days of the Church, Pentecost was considered in the unitary perspective of Easter, of which the fiftieth day constituted the close. When Meliton of Sardis[1] and Tertullian refer to Pentecost, they always mean the Easter fiftieth day celebrated as a single feast day . [2]
Among the Jews, the Feast of Weeks – as it is defined in the Pentateuch[3] -, celebrated seven weeks after the Passover, was a special feast during which thanks were first given to the Lord for the harvests, and then, at a later time, for the proclamation of the Law on Sinai, fifty days after the liberation from Egypt. As biblical scholars have ascertained by analysing ancient writings, this feast does not seem to have had a major influence on Christian celebrations. However, Jesus’ Ascension into heaven and the sending of the Holy Spirit could not be ignored as events in their own right. Initially, the Ascension and Pentecost were usually celebrated at the same time, precisely on the basis of Jesus’ own words inviting the two events to be linked together. In John in fact (16:7), Jesus announces his departure and, at the same time, but conditioned by this departure, the sending of the Spirit. Taking human psychology into account, it was therefore normal to celebrate the last day of the Fiftieth Day with greater solemnity. It is good to emphasise, however, that Pentecost does not definitively close Easter Time in the sense that the paschal mystery of Christ is followed by that of the Church .[4]
The fiftieth day began to take on a liturgical autonomy of its own at the beginning of the 4th century (300 A.D.), when the sacraments of Christian initiation were also conferred during the Easter Vigil in Rome. St Leo the Great, in his sermon on Pentecost[5] , clearly alludes to those who were baptised on the night of this feast. The Vigil is organised along the lines of that of Easter, with various readings and, as we have just said, the conferring of the sacraments of Christian initiation. Four readings are planned. If the Vigil of Pentecost followed that of Easter, it did not, however, assimilate its ceremonies of the blessing of the fire and the candle, although some Frankish churches preserved these rites .[6]
Later, around the 8th (700 A.D.) – 9th (800 A.D.) century, the night celebration was brought forward to Saturday afternoon or even morning.
Both the Mass euchology (the Eucharistic prayer and presidential orations) of the vigil and that of the Day of Pentecost can be found in the Verona Sacramentary and the Gelasian Sacramentary .[7]
The new Missal has emphasised that the celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost does not constitute the closing of the Easter Cinquantine, thus referring, not without pastoral and theological-liturgical motivation, to the oldest tradition.
We have a Eucharistic celebration called the Vigil, which is celebrated as the first Mass of the Solemnity on Saturday evening after First Vespers, which introduces the Solemnity.
On Pentecost Sunday, the formulary of the Mass of the day is used.
It is important through liturgical celebrations to emphasise how the Holy Spirit leads the Church down the centuries, otherwise the Church would have long since disappeared. History is the most credible witness of this.
In fact, looking at the passage of time, it is normal to wonder how the Church was able to overcome difficulties from outside and from within. Any other structure in its place would have disappeared.
If it is self-evident for a Christian that the Holy Spirit leads the Church, it is essential for each one to follow the Holy Spirit. In order to implement this project, it is necessary on a daily basis to do the Father’s will. To do the Father’s will, it is essential to follow only one person: the Lord Jesus.
How do we implement following Christ the Lord? Conform our lives to his. In fact, he freely chose to be part of the people of Israel and, within it, to live in Galilee the region of the two (Judea and Galilee) most despised and, in that, in Nazareth, the last country of Israel the inhabitants of Nazareth did not enjoy any esteem within the people and, in Nazareth, he chose to be born and live within a very ordinary family, why?
Why did the Lord want to live for thirty years in silence; why did He not want to keep or build fame? Because even during his public life (three years; a year and a half) he always wanted to remain in the shadows, and even during the miracles Jesus always scoffed at the glory.
One fact is certain: Jesus never wanted to be self-referential; Jesus wanted to be a clear person, that is, what he appears to be; he did not build an image, or a reputation.
Listening to the Spirit means trying to live imitating the life of Christ.
Think of the conversion of Saint Vincent: ordained a priest without a vocation; an arriviste; a person who used priestly life for financial gain.
After his conversion, he realised what it meant to be a priest: to have the smell of sheep on him! What happened afterwards we know well.
And we who celebrate the Vincentian Jubilee, can we say that we seek, despite our limitations, the Holy Spirit as our founder did with St. Louise, or are we like St. Vincent before his conversion?
I wish everyone to follow the Holy Spirit daily.
[1] MÉLITON DE SARDES, Sur ls Páque: ed O.Perler (SCh 123, 65), Paris 1966.
[2] TERTULLIAN, De Ieiunio, 14, 2; CCL 2, 1273.
[3] Ex 34:22; Lev 23:15. See J. Van Goudoever, Fêtes et calendriers bibliques, Paris 1967ᴲ, 31-48 (translated from the English Biblical Calendars, Leiden 1961).
[4] M. RIGHETTI, Manuale di Storia Liturgica, II, Milan, 1969ᴲ, 312.
[5] Leo the Great, Serm. 76, 1: CCL 138A, 472.
[6] M. RIGHETTI, Manuale di Storia Liturgica, II, Milan, 1969ᴲ, 312.
[7] The sacramentary is a volume similar to our Roman Missal.
