Lesson 5

                                                   After the ascension of Jesus, the disciples closed the doors of the house and were in deep prayer.Mary,the mother of Jesus,was also with them.The disciples were afraid that they too will be caught and killed.On the day of Pentecost,while they were praying,Holy Spirit descended on them.The Holy Spirit came to all of them in the form of tongues of fire.The disciples filled with the Spirit got new courage and power.Peter , who denied Jesus thrice,began to speak publicly to the people about Jesus.Listening to his speech,3000 believed in Jesus on the same day.

Other disciples also,empowered by the Holy Spirit,went to different parts of the world and started preaching.The courage and power which they received by the anointing of the Holy Spirit enabled them even to become martyrs for Jesus.

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Stephen was one of the seven deacons of the early Church.Even when the crowd rushed to stone him to death he remained fearless by the power of the Holy Spirit.He was empowered by the Holy Spirit even to pray for those who stoned him and forgive them. St.Stephen is the first martyr of the Church.

Jesus had promised his Holy Spirit even before His death."The Holy Spirit,Whom the Father will send in my name ,will teach you everything,and remind you of all that I have said to you"(John 14:26).When the apostles prayed over those who received baptism,they also received the power of the Holy Spirit.

"Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,they sent peter and John to them.The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit... Then peter and John laid their hands on them,and they received the Holy Spirit"(Acts 8:14-17).

St.Paul met a few disciples in Jerusalem.They had not received the Holy Spirit.They had received only the baptism of John the Baptist.Hence they received baptism in the name of Jesus and when Paul prayed over them,Holy Spirit descended on them (Acts 19:2-6).

We receive the special power and charisms of the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Anointing.This sacrament empowers us to preach the gospel and to witness to Jesus with prophetic courage.This sacrament also gives us the power to fight against evil.

Sacrament of Anointing is the sacrament that gives us,who have been made children of God by being born again in the Holy Spirit through baptism,the power and special charisms to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and to give withness to Him.

Baptism,Anointing and Holy Qurbana are called sacraments of initiation.Anointing is a continuation and completion of Baptism.

These sacraments enable the faithful to be true christian withesses.In Anointing,we obtain the gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit.The gifits of the Holy Spirit are seven in number.They are wisdom,understanding,counsel,knowledge,fortitude,piety and fear of God.

Besides these gifts,the Holy Spirit gives special charisms required for the proclamation of the Gospel and the spreading of His Kingdom.Gift of tongues,charism of prophesy,charism of almsgiving,charism of vision , charism of healing and charism of performing miracles are some of the charisms that the Holy Spirit gives(1 Cor 12-10). All these charisms are given to perfect the children of the church to build up the church,the body of Christ and spread the Kingdom of God.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the signs that the Holy Spirit lives in us.The fruits of the Holy Spirit mainly are:love,joy,peace,patience,kindness,goodness,faithfulness,meekness,self control,holiness,chastity and endurance.

The main signs of the sacrament of Anointing are praying over the candidate by the celebrant and the Anointing on the forehead.An invisible relationship with Jesus and the church is established through this.A never-erasable seal is cast on the soul of the one who receives this sacrament.Thisd sacrament can be received only once in life.Again it prepares the Christain to confront the Challenges of faith in this world.

Fruits of the sacrament of Anointing

We get special Anointing of the Holy Spirit.

We obtain the gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit.

It empowers us to produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

It empowers us to proclaim the Gospel.

It gives us the poer to witness to jesus.

It strengthens us to fight against evil.

We should not lose the charisms,fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit which We receive in the sacrament of Anointing.We must be careful to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit,to choose good,to avoid evil and to grow in virtue.We have to pray and strive for that

Let us Pray

O Lord! Who gave the apostles the Holy Spirit and filled them 

with the spirit of the Gospel,be merciful to pour

out the gifts of your Holy Spirit in our community too.

A Word of God to remember

"Divided tongues, as of fire,appeared

among them,and a tongue rested on each

of them.All of them were filled with the

Holy Spirit"(Acts 2:3-4).

Let us read the Word of God

with devotion

Acts 2: 1-4

Let us do

Write the mystery of the rosary that describes

the descent of the Holy Spirit.

My decision

I will be a witness to Jesus among my friends