Who is the Holy Spirit?

For most Christians the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is celebrated on the day of Pentecost, this year on 12 June.

According to the biblical narrative (Acts 2:1-6) on that day while the Apostles were together “suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance…”

According to traditions and cultures there are various ways of describing the Holy Spirit, ranging from “a Person really distinct as such from the Father and the Son, God and consubstantial with the Father and the Son” (Roman Catholic) to “a peculiar effect of divine flatulence hissing into the ears of a few chosen of God” (Voltaire).

Pentecost: Birth of a Holistic and Shamanic Church (by Franco Santoro)

There are three major holidays in the Christian calendar.

Two of them (Christmas and Easter) are widely known to all people, Christians and non-Christians.

The third feast, Pentecost, officially taking place this year on 12 June close to one of the longest total lunar eclipses (15 June 2011), is more unfamiliar and even several believers do not know much about it.

Perhaps this is because, unlike the other festivities, it does not involve extra days of vacation, specific things to buy or culinary associations, such as Christmas pudding, turkey, Easter eggs and lamb.[i]

Yet, in actual fact, this feast does relate with food consumption, since it originally celebrates the Jewish fruition of the harvest. In Christian imagery it also refers to Jesus as “the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20) exemplified by “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, he who believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35). This may sound like a catering slogan, yet it does not necessarily promote ordinary business and consumerism, which is perhaps why there is not much fuss about Pentecost.