In the early morning of Sunday 8 June, the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land gathered at the Cenacle on Mount Zion to celebrate Pentecost.
On this solemnity the Church remembers the effusion of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus gave as a gift to his disciples, gathered in the Cenacle, fifty days after Easter.
The Custos of the Holy Land, Fra Francesco Patton, presided over the vigil on Saturday night in St Saviour’s church and the Sunday Mass at the Cenacle.
The liturgy of the eve of Pentecost follows on that of the Easter vigil, emphasizing the profound link between the solemnity of Easter and Pentecost. The promise of Christ is fulfilled on this day: the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.
The celebration began with a rich Liturgy of the Word, made up of four readings accompanied by as many psalms. The Biblical path went from the dispersion of Babel (Genesis 11, 1-9) to the revelation of God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19, 3-8a.16-20b). These were followed by the prophetic passage of the “valley of dry bones” in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37,1-14), brought to life by the breath of the Spirit and the prophetic announcement of Joel on the effusion of the Spirit of God over the whole of humanity (Joel 3,1-5) .
In his homily, the Custos invited all those present to follow the footsteps of the prophet Ezekiel, in invoking and welcoming the spirit of God. “Like Ezekiel we must stay in the middle of this cemetery which the world has become and trust in God. We are called to keep our heart obstinately free of feelings of anger, rancour, hatred and thirst for vendetta, so that at least one corner of our heart remains open to compassion, reconciliation and forgiveness, i.e. love that heals and brings back to life.”
The Sunday Mass at the Cenacle was held privately in front of a small number of faithful. The Gospel according to John, which was proclaimed during the Mass, is set in this very place where Jesus, during the Last Supper, promises the gift of the Spirit to the disciples.
“The gift of the Holy Spirit,” the Custos emphasized, “makes us alive, it makes us sons and brothers, it makes us the dwelling-place of God. [...] The Spirit thus transforms human coexistence into an experience of fraternity and guides us to understand the way of peace.”
In the afternoon, the friars once again gathered at the Cenacle to celebrate the Second Vespers, which mark the conclusion of the solemnity of Pentecost and the Time of Easter. During the initial procession and the singing of the Magnificat, the area near the place traditionally identified with the Last Supper, where according to tradition, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and Mary as they were gathered in prayer, was incensed.
