What did Pentecost mean? It was the power to be fearless in preaching and living the resurrection. It was the energy to go and do and be Easter people with an aliveness all would notice.

As the book of Acts opens, the Eleven were gazing off into space, where their Redeemer had just disappeared in cloudy ascension. Not sure what to do next, they stood gawking upwards trying to hang onto the moment and all that had gone before. Thsn an angel said, "Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky?" (Acts 1:11) Don't just stand there, do something! Don't just look up; speak up and act up!

The Holy Spirit came to get them going. The Spirit infused them with an intoxicating drive and a contagious joy. ("These people are not drunk!" - Acts 2:15)

The surest evidence for the resurrection and Pentecost was the dramatic transformation of the disciples: from their fleeing of arrest, denying they knew him, and meeting behind locked doors - into their preaching with power, standing fearless before the authorities, and radiating a faith and vision never before demonstrated.

The Apostles had many choices and decisions to make after Jesus ascended into heaven. One of the first choices facing the Apostles was to select a replacement for Judas Iscariot who hanged himself after he betrayed Jesus.

1. What was the criteria the Apostles decided on for Judas' replacement.

2. Who were the only two to fulfill this criteria?

3. How was the replacement chosen?

4. Do you think the system was fair? Explain.This was one of the simple decisions the Apostles had to make. Once a replacement for Judas was chosen, the apostles needed to decide what action to take next. Each one, of course, had a different idea as to what should be done. After much arguing with one another as to what to do next, the Apostles gathered together for the Feast of Pentecost. They still had not come to a decision as to what to do.

Activity: Apostles' Mission
It is one week after the resurrection. You are one of the followers who have been with Jesus more than two years. The events of the past week seem to block out the rest of your life. At this point, you realize that the resurrection is a reality. But what are you going to do now? Below are some alternatives you have heard others mention or that come to your mind. There is pressure on you to decide now (within the next few minutes) which option - including any unlisted choices you may think of - seems right for you and the reasons for that decision.

Rank the following options in order of importance (first being the most important).

1. Proclaim on the streets and in the synagogue that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God; repent, believe in him, and be baptized.
2. Serve the afflicted and poor.
3. Organize people who feel as you into communities to consider action.
4. Go to an isolated place to pray and reflect on the meaning of the last two years.
5. Return to your family and re-establish that relationship.
6. Organize classes to teach lessons you have learned from Jesus.
7. Record immediately as much detail of the life of Jesus and his followers as you can.
8. Other options.

The Feast of Pentecost was a Jewish festival. (Remember all of Jesus' followers were Jewish and still considered themselves Jews and thus celebrated all the Jewish feasts.) The feast was celebrated 50 days after Passover and commemorated two things:

• It was a joyous feast to commemorated the day Moses received the Ten Commandments from God which occurred 50 days after the original Passover from Egypt.
• It was also a day to thank God for the harvest which would have taken place before the feast. (Almost like our Thanksgiving celebration).

There were many emotions in the room: confusion, fear, anger, uneasiness. It was in the middle of all that chaos that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and brought unity to the group.

5. What was the first sign that something was going to happen?

6. In what form did the Holy Spirit appear to the Apostles?

7. What did the Spirit do?

8. Once the Spirit entered the Apostles, what did it enable them to do?

9. What were the responses of the people gathered?

10. How would you have reacted if you witnessed this event?

It was from this point forward that the Apostles realized that in making decisions concerning what God was asking of them they needed to allow God's Holy Spirit to guide them. Their own personal desires and choices could not be part of the decisions which would build the Christian community. Once they realized the Holy Spirit was in them, they allowed the Spirit to guide their lives in order to bring about God's will on earth. They did come to a consensus on one decision. They all agreed to disagree on the order of priorities of their next action! They agreed that each needed to go out wherethe Holy Spirit called him and to do the work of God as the Spirit enabled him.

• Some wrote the life of Jesus down.
• Some traveled to far off lands to convert the Gentiles (non-Jews).
• Some worked in Jerusalem trying to convert those Jews who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.
• Some went to Rome to try and bring the Christian faith to those in high government positions.
• Others worked with the poor or were healers in the name of Jesus.

Each Apostle used the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a unique way to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth.

The Sacrament of Confirmation is your own personal Pentecost. Hopefully, it is a time when you realize that God's desire for you is greater than your own personal desire for yourself. Confirmation is a time when you come to an understanding that the Holy Spirit has given you gifts to be used for the Kingdom of God.

At baptism you were immersed in the Holy Spirit. Confirmation empowers you to live your baptism more consciously. Pray for a greater awareness of the Holy Spirit and ask God to fill every part of your being. Trace the actions of the Holy Spirit through Scripture by looking up each of the passages below. As you reflect on each, be aware of how people were open to all the possibilities that the Spirit offered them ? great, wonderful, unimaginable things. Write a sentence telling what each passage says about the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18

Luke 1:42

Luke 1:14-15

Luke 1:67, 76-77

Mark 1:10-11

Luke 4:14-15

Mark 13:11

Matthew 28:18-19

Acts 2:3-4