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When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. Andsuddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled theentire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with theHoly Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to

proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. Atthis sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each oneheard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazementthey asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does

each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia andPamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers fromRome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear themspeaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

Acts 2:1-11

In Sacred Scripture ...

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The feast of the Law of Moses originally known as the feast of Weeks or the

feast of Harvest . Later, among Greek-speaking Jews, the feast came to becalled Pentecost. The Greek pentkost means fiftieth and refers to thetiming of the festival, which took place fifty days after the spring celebration ofPassover. Pentecost became a Christian feast when the Holy Spirit rusheddown on the apostles seven weeks after Jesus celebrated his final Passover.

In the Old Testament, the feast of Weeks (Pentecost) is one of three majorfeasts listed in Exodus where it is known as the harvest festival), along withthe festival of Unleavened Bread and the festival of Ingathering at the end ofthe year . In Leviticus, the feast is calculated to occur seven weeks from theday of the presentation of the first sheaf of the barley harvest during thePassover celebration. In Numbers and Deuteronomy, it is known as the feastof Weeks. Tobit and 2 Maccabees, as well as Josephus, refer to it to as thefestival or feast of Pentecost.

Catholic Bible Dictionary (p. 693). Kindle Edition.

In Jewish culture ...

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In Art ...

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1305 A.D.

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1308 A.D.

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7/111600 A.D.

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8/111705 A.D.

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1732 A.D.

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731, 732, 767, 1076, 1287, 26231076 The Church was made manifest to the world on the day ofPentecost by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the

Spirit ushers in a new era in the dispensation of the mystery theage of the Church, during which Christ manifests, makes present,and communicates his work of salvation through the liturgy of hisChurch, until he comes. In this age of the Church Christ nowlives and acts in and with his Church, in a new way appropriate to

this new age. He acts through the sacraments in what thecommon Tradition of the East and the West calls the sacramentaleconomy; this is the communication (or dispensation) of thefruits of Christs Paschal mystery in the celebration of theChurchs sacramental liturgy.

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church ...

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Why did God wait until Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), a Jewish

harvest festival, to give the Holy Spirit.

How far have these pilgrims come?

What attracts them to the disciples?

How does being filled with the Spirit relate to bearing witnessto Jesus?

Would you respond more like those in verse 12 or in verse13?

When have you experienced an empowering from God to

witness about Christ?

Discussion Questions