ast called also Pentecost?
A. This feast is called also Pentecost because Pentecost means the
fiftieth; and the Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles fifty days
after the resurrection of Our Lord.
Q. 428. {98} How did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of
fire.
Q. 429. What did the form of tongues of fire denote?
A. The form of tongues of fire denoted the sacred character and divine
authority of the preaching and teaching of the Apostles, by whose words
and fervor all men were to be converted to the love of God.
Q. 430. {99} Who sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles?
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ sent the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles.
Q. 431. Did the Apostles know that the Holy Ghost would come down upon
them?
A. The Apostles knew that the Holy Ghost would come down upon them; for
Christ promised His Apostles that after His Ascension He would send the
Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, to teach them all truths and to abide
with them forever.
Q. 432. Has any one ever denied the existence of the Holy Ghost?
A. Some persons have denied the existence of the Holy Ghost; others have
denied that He is a real person equal to the Father and the Son; but all
these assertions are shown to be false by the words of Holy Scripture
and the infallible teaching of the Church.
Q. 433. What are the sins against the Holy Ghost which Our Lord said
will not be forgiven either in this world or in the next?
A. The sins against the Holy Ghost which Our Lord said will not be
forgiven either in this world or in the next, are sins committed out of
pure malice, and greatly opposed to the mercy of God, and are,
therefore, seldom forgiven.
Q. 434. {100} Why did Christ send the Holy Ghost?
A. Christ sent the Holy Ghost to sanctify His Church, to enlighten and
strengthen the Apostles, and to enable them to preach the Gospel.
Q. 435. How was the Church sanctified through the coming of the Holy
Ghost?
A. The Church was sanctified through the coming of the Holy Ghost by
receiving those graces which Christ had merited for His ministers, the
bishops and priests, and for the souls of all those committed to their
care.
Q. 436. How were the Apostles enlightened through the coming of the Holy
Ghost?
A. The Apostles were enlightened through the coming of the Holy Ghost by
receiving the grace to remember and understand in its true meaning all
that Christ had said and d
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