Next Saturday May 18th at 9pm a meeting will be held at the College Church in Trapaniecumenical Pentecost vigil. Pentecost (fiftieth day in Greek) celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on Mary and the apostles gathered together in the Cenacle. Together with Easter and Christmas, it constitutes one of the most important holidays in the liturgical calendar, and marks the start of the missionary call of the Church. Initially the Jewish people celebrated it, precisely fifty days after Easter. It was an agricultural festival, of thanks to God for the gifts of the land, which coincided with the beginning of the wheat harvest and the first fruits. Later, the memory of the gift of the Tablets of the Law given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai was grafted onto this original celebration. In the Jewish ritual, at Pentecost we abstained from any work and the pilgrimage of men to Jerusalem was expected. In the Christian tradition, however, the first testimony of Pentecost as a feast of the Holy Spirit is attributed to Tertullian (155-220). Always fifty days after Easter. The people of Trapani called it the “Pasqua ciuri” festival.
The vigil awaiting Pentecost this year will have an ecumenical dimension due to the presence not only of Catholics but also of representatives of the Waldensian Church of Trapani and Marsala and of the Fede Cristiana Italia Church.
“At the Pentecost Vigil we invited all ecclesial components to collaborate so that this moment in which we celebrate the Spirit who gathers us in unity by valuing differences was truly felt as a moment for everyone – says the director of the Ecumenism and Dialogue Office Francesca Messina – And therefore the preparation was also an opportunity to join forces and put one’s charism at service. The Poor Sisters of the Monastery of Santa Chiara of Alcamo contributed with the texts, the prayer intercessions were curated by the Servants of Poor Jesus, the MASCI with the adult scouts will curate the liturgy of light, the young people will create a sign, representatives from different diocesan realities will take care of the animation. A reflection will be curated by Gianluca Fiusco of the Waldensian Church and one by Barbara Mazzeo of the Fede Cristiana Italia Church”.
