Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-06-03
CommemOrates Descent of Par
aclete on Apostles and
Disciples.
Quaint Customs Observed Dur
ing Mass in Ancient
Times.
TIME OF PRAYER FOR STRENGTH

Tomorrow the Catholic church the
world over will celebrate the feast Of
Pentecost in commemoration of the
day on which the Holy Ghost de-
scended upon the apostles and
disciples of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ The Bible tells us
that on Pentecost Sunday, about the
third hour, 8 o'clock in our time,
the Holy Ghost descended mirac-
ulously in the form of fiery tongues
and rested upon the heads of each
of Christ's followers, who were as
sembled together in fear lest they
might be recognized and put to
death as friends of the Nazarene.
Pentecost is always celebrated ten
days after Ascension day, and is one
of the solemn feasts of the church.
Pentecost was kept as Christian
feast from very early times. From
early English times it has also been
called Whit Sunday, from the fact
that It was a season when many
were baptized, and derived its name
from the white garments worn by
the catechumens. In olden times
the faithful stood erect while they
prayed on Pentecost, and there was
no fast between Ascension day and
Whit Sunday, not even on the vigil.
The vigil of Pentecost was one of the
two days on which baptism was con-
ferred, and hence the Missal still
gives a form for the blessing of the
font on that day.
Pope Benedict XIV. also mentions
j, as customs which prevailed in some
places, like the blessing of candles,
the blowing of trumpets at the Veni,
Sancte Spiritus in the mass on Whit
Sunday, the discharge of fire from
tho roof of the church and the scat
teIing of roses.
The Sundays which follow till Ad-
vent are dated from Pentecost Sun
dayin the Roman calendar, and con-
- tute the third period of the year.
this day the Bishops in the
arious dioceses are busy admins
|ering the sacrament of confirmation
10 many classes, because that sacra-
nent brings the Holy Ghost to those
confirmed and makes them strong
md faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ.
1t will be remembered that after
lie anu uCdln VI NhC
Saviour the apostles and disciples
{hid themselves in terror from the
angry Jews. Not even after Christ
had risen from the dead and ap-
peared before them and talked 20
them many times were their fears
allayed. He told them that there
were many things they did not un-
derstand, but that after He had re-
turned to his Heavenly Father the
Paraclete would come to them,
teaching all things that they were
to believe; that they were then to
go forth teaching all nations in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost.
From the Bible and from tradition
we learn that while they we're as
sembled the Holy Ghost came upon
them, and at once, bold in the faith,
they went forth to preach. Multi
tudes assembled to hear these Won
derful preachers, and although they
were all Nazarenes and men hitherto
untutored in foreign languages the
vast multitudes heard and under
stood There were men and women
present from every part of the then
civilized world; from Europe, Asia
and Africa. The Egyptian, the
Roman, the Greek, the Assyrian and
the Mesopotamlan, each heard these
men of divers tongues. Pentecost
may well be termed the sunrise OF
Christianity.
1t is customary among pious
Catholics to receive holy communion
on Pentecost Sunday and to pray
the Holy Chest to continue to en-
tighten them and to make them
more than ever faithful soldiers OF
Jesus Christ.