The Third Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary is the Descent of the Holy Spirit. After the Ascension, the Apostles prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit with prayer. “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” (Acts 1:14).
St. John Chrysostom said, “The Holy Spirit didn’t come to them while Christ was with them or even immediately after His departure, but rather on the day of Pentecost. It was fitting that they should first be brought to have a longing desire for that event, and so receive the grace. For this reason, Christ Himself departed, and then the Spirit descended. For had He been there Himself they would not have expected the Spirit as earnestly as they did.”
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich described her visions on the Descent of the Holy Spirit: “The luminous cloud descended low over the house, and with the increasing sound, the light became brighter. I saw the house and its surroundings more clearly, while the Apostles, the disciples, and the women became more and more silent, more deeply recollected … The assembled Faithful were ravished in ecstasy. Each involuntarily threw back his head and raised his eyes eagerly on high, while into the mouth of everyone there flowed a stream of light like a burning tongue of fire … All were full of emotion, and as if intoxicated with joy and confidence. They gathered around the Blessed Virgin who was, I saw, the only one perfectly calm, the only one that retained a quiet, holy self-possession … A new life full of joy, of confidence, and of courage had been infused into all. Their joy found vent in thanksgiving. They ranged for prayer, gave thanks and praised God with great emotion.”
Pope St. Paul VI said, “Mary, who conceived Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit, the Love of the living God, presides over the birth of the Church, on the day of Pentecost, when the same Holy Spirit comes down on the disciples and gives life to the mystical body of Christians in unity and charity.” At the Annunciation, Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit to become the “Mother of God,” and at Pentecost, she was overshadowed by the same Holy Spirit as “Mother of the Church.”
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). Vatican II document Ad Gentes states: “Without doubt, the Holy Spirit was at work in the world before Christ was glorified. On the day of Pentecost, however, he came down on the disciples that he might remain with them forever (Jn 14:16); on that day the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through preaching, was begun. Finally, on that day was foreshadowed the union of all peoples in the catholicity of the faith by means of the Church of the New Alliance, a Church which speaks every language, understands, and embraces all tongues in charity, and thus overcomes the dispersion of Babel.”
A sixth century theologian said, “This is the same Holy Spirit by Whom love is poured into our hearts. It was love that was to bring the Church of God together all over the world. And as individual men who received the Holy Spirit in those days could speak in all kinds of tongues, so today the Church, united by the Holy Spirit, speaks in the language of every people.”
With longing desire and recollection, let us pray that filled with the Holy Spirit, we may become one body, one spirit in Christ.
天主聖神團結不同語言的民族
玫瑰經榮福五端的第三端是聖神降臨。耶穌升天後門徒們以祈禱準備天主聖神的來臨。『這些人同一些婦女及耶穌的母親瑪利亞並他的兄弟， 都同心合意地專務祈禱。 』(宗1:14)
金口聖若望說：『聖神在耶穌跟他們一起的時候和耶穌剛離去的時候沒有來到他們中間，但卻在五旬節到來。這是適當的，為這事，他們首先要經歷渴求的願望，然後才接受這恩寵。為這原因，耶穌先行離去，然後是聖神的降臨。因為如果祂跟他們一起，他們不會如此熱烈的期待聖神的來臨。』
真福Anne Catherine Emmerich形容她關於聖神降臨的神視說：『光亮的雲彩低降在屋頂上，隨著增強著的聲音，光越發明亮。我見到那房屋和它的四周，宗徒、門徒、和婦女們變得更為靜默，更收心…聚集一起的信徒陶醉在極度的喜樂中。每人都不自覺地抬起頭，眼睛向上凝望，每人口中有如火舌般的光線流動…一切都充滿情感，就如為喜悅和信心所醉倒。他們聚集在童貞聖母周圍，我看見她是唯一一位完全平靜的，唯一一位保持靜默，神聖和自持…一個充滿喜樂的新生命，全體都富有信心和滿注勇氣。 喜悅發出感恩。他們都以盛大的情感在祈禱，謝恩和讚美天主。』
教宗聖保祿六世說：『瑪利亞因聖神的化工懷孕基督。聖神是生活天主的愛，祂主持了教會的誕生。在五旬節那天，同一聖神降臨到門徒中，在愛和合一中賦予生命給基督徒的奧體。』在聖母領報的時候，瑪利亞為聖神所庇蔭成為『天主之母』，在聖神降臨她卻為同一聖神所庇蔭作為『教會的母親』。
『眾人都充滿了聖神，照聖神賜給他們的話，說起外方話來。』(宗2:4) 。梵蒂岡第二屆大公會議文獻 『無疑地在基督升天以前，聖神已在世間工作（參閱若： 十四，16）。但是在五旬節那天，聖神降臨於弟子們，好同他們永遠在一起，教會也 在那一天公開呈現於民眾之前，以宣講方式向萬民傳播福音，也從那天開始，藉着新約的教會在大公的信仰之下，預兆出各民族的合一，教會以各種語言說話，在愛德中也 通曉各種語言，並採納之，於是克服了巴伯爾塔的紛亂離散』。
一位六世紀的神學家說：『這是同一位的聖神，祂把愛傾注在我們心中。只有愛能夠把天主的教會在世界各地聚集在一起。一如每位接受了聖神後，能夠說不同的方言，今天的教會，與聖神結合，也能説每個人羣的方言。』
以期待的願望和收心，讓我們祈禱，求望充滿聖神，我們能夠在基督內成為一心一身。