Pentecost: Come, Holy Spirit... Fill the Hearts

“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.” Thus begins one of the most well-known Roman Catholic prayers to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. Our image here illustrating the passage is a pastiche in a minimalist style of a tongue of fire or flame and a heart. + Fire is rich in religious (and secular) meaning. In the Old Testament, fire can indicate the presence of God as in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). In the New Testament, fire is most often equated with the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16, Acts 2:2-4, etc.) and is associated with the Feast of Pentecost and the Sacrament of Confirmation. In more general terms, fire serves in Christianity as a symbol of purification, enlightenment, and Divine Love. + Pentecost is sometimes called ‘Rose Sunday.’ Some parishes still follow an old Roman custom of showering congregants with rose petals at the end of Mass to commemorate the Descent of the Holy Spirit and the miraculous appearance of the tongues of flame on the heads of the Apostles, Mary, and the other disciples in the Upper Room on the very first Pentecost. + The choice is yours whether to add a colorful background to the item or to leave it as is! If you opt for color, pastels will work best: soft peaches, yellows, blues, or greens. + See also our related Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Flames) COLLECTION.