Charismatics prayerfully await Feast of Pentecost

Friday, May. 22, 2020

LAYTON —To honor Pentecost this year, the Charismatic Diocesan Renovation group had planned a novena that was to begin May 22 and end May 30, the vigil of the feast day.

Original plans called for the novena to start with a vigil at St. Rose of Lima Parish, but due to the concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the plans have been modified.

Now, the Mass for the novena will be livestreamed each day, beginning May 22, “from a small altar designed specifically (for that purpose) … at St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish,” said Father Jose Barrera, the charismatic group’s spiritual adviser.

Every day, five people from different parishes will guide the novena, which includes prayer, lectures, reflections, the Holy Spirit sequence, a petition for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, a thanksgiving prayer and worship.

This liturgy will be transmitted through the charismatic group’s Facebook page each day.

This year, the Feast of Pentecost is Sunday, May 31. This celebration, which commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit, takes place 50 days after Easter.

The first Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the original disciples, is described in Acts 2: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” 

“This day is a birthday for our Church, for the people of God,” Fr. Barrera said.

The symbols of Pentecost are flames of fire, wind and the dove, all of which represent the Holy Spirit.  

“The Holy Spirit is for all the Church and for all the groups,” Fr. Barrera said, but for the charismatic renovation, Pentecost is a very important celebration because “charismatic renovation makes [the Holy Spirit] its focal point of support for evangelization. The charismatic renovation takes Pentecost as a great responsibility.”

He added that many times people arrive at the Feast of Pentecost with no spiritual preparation.

“My intention, and the Charismatic Renovation’s intention, is to invite all to an intensive preparation to receive and renew the Holy Spirit in our lives,” he said.

People need strength from the Holy Spirit to face the challenges of these times, Fr. Barrera said. “We also need to learn and follow the example of our Holy Mother; she waited, she had a prayerful waiting and so should we.” 

Those who know how to also wait know how to receive, he said.

“This novena is to help people to prayerfully wait for Pentecost,” he said.

During the novena, the charismatics will ask for the gift of strength for everyone who has been infected with the COVID-19 virus, and their families.

“We will be also praying for the gift of wisdom for the scientific world, so they can come up with a vaccine for the virus and end this pandemic,” Fr. Barrera said.

Everyone is invited to join the novena, which will start May 22 at 8 p.m.; it will be available on the Facebook page of Renovacion Carismatica Catolica Saltlakecity.