Current Liturgical Season: Pentecost
The Day of Pentecost, also known as WhitSunday, refers to the day on which the promised Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles. It comes 50 days (pente = 50) after the Resurrection of Christ and 10 days after his ascension. It concludes the Great 50 Day celebration of Easter. The long awaited and promised Helper has come to the Apostles in a wonderful and strange scene. The Apostles are given the gift of tongues, which came in the form of fire. In a holy chaotic scene, they all speak many different languages to many different people all at once, but all the hearers, though speaking different languages, could understand. Immediately, Peter stands in front of a large crowd and proclaims with authority that what has just happened to them is a sign and wonder that points to their Lord, Jesus Christ, and that everyone who calls upon his name shall be saved. The Church and its mission have been born by way of the power of the Holy Spirit.
The liturgical color for Pentecost is red. It is the same color we use for ordinations, confirmations, martyrs, and Holy Week. It is a color that signifies to us the fire that fell onto the Apostles that morning. Red is a symbol of the Holy Spirit and is a reminder to us that we rely on His presence.