Please join us for our performances celebration Pentecost.

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Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day after Easter.  It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary, mother of Jesus, and the Apostles of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of Apostles (Acts 2:1–31).  

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The events of Acts Chapter 2 are set against the backdrop of the celebration of Pentecost in Jerusalem. There are several major features to the Pentecost narrative presented in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The author begins by noting that the disciples of Jesus "were all together in one place" on the "day of Pentecost."   There is a "mighty rushing wind" (wind is a common symbol for the Holy Spirit) and "tongues as of fire" appear. The gathered disciples were "filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance". 

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This event represents fulfillment of the promise that Christ will baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit. Out of the four New Testament gospels, the distinction between baptism by water and the baptism by Christ with "Holy Spirit and fire" is only found in Matthew and Luke.

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The narrative in Acts evokes the symbolism of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River, and the start of his ministry, by explicitly connecting the earlier prophecy of John the Baptist to the baptism of the disciples with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The timing of the narrative during the law giving festival of Pentecost symbolizes both continuity with the giving of the law, but also the central role of the Holy Spirit for the early church. 

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Sunday, May 19, 2023 |  2:00pm

Saint Anthony on the Desert Episcopal Church  

12990 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259

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Sunday, May 19, 2023 |  5:00pm

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Parish

909 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85034  

 

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC