Grab your kids’ attention at home or in your faith formation class with this Holy Spirit craft for Pentecost.
The Craft
Print the Holy Spirit Dove and gather your supplies. I used a regular straw and coffee stir stick. You might have a plastic straw and a paper one, or maybe a boba tea straw and a normal-sized one. Even a grocery store variety, and one leftover from a Whataburger shake will do! Otherwise, colored pencils, scissors, tape, and glue are all you’ll need once you’ve printed it on cardstock.
You’ll color and cut it out, attach a folded rectangle to the back, and tape on cut straws to the wings. The video tutorial shows just how to make it. In all, an adult can make it in about ten minutes. Kids will need a little help with the straws, and the feathers of the dove will hone their cutting skills! If they give up, just use it as a coloring page instead.
What is Pentecost?
Pentecost is one of the three most important celebrations in the Catholic Church every year. It’s falls just short of the glory of Christmas and Easter. On Pentecost, Christ fulfilled His promise to send the Apostles and Advocate to teach them and guide them on their path toward holiness.
When you read the account of Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles, it begins with them locked in the Upper Room, the same Upper Room where Christ celebrated the Last Supper. They’re terrified of what might happen if they preach as Christ did because, well, look at what happened to Him.
And yet, through a locked door and hearts hardened by fear, the Holy Spirit came to them in wind like a tornado. The sound and strength of the wind got the attention of all of Jerusalem. At that time, because of the Feast, the city would have been filled with Jewish people coming to celebrate. And all those people start gathering outside the Cenacle (Greek for upper room). As they gather, tongues of fire come to rest on the followers of Christ.
Instantly, they change. They’re filled with courage and cannot keep from proclaiming the Gospel. What’s more, as they speak to the gathered crowds, they speak in languages they don’t even know so that all may understand them. There’s so much to this passage, I hope you’ll read it over and over, and keep asking why. Why at that moment? Why the wind? Why fire? Why the different languages? Why does God love us so much that, even when we fail to praise Him, He sends us the Holy Spirit to help us on our way back to Him?
What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
What did the Holy Spirit give the Apostles to make them so bold? Gifts. There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, not to be confused with the Fruits of the Spirit.
“The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.”
Each gift helps us to grow in holiness by, as the CCC notes, perfecting our virtue. They give us God’s strength instead of our own, they help us say what God wants us to say, they help us love God more than anything, recognize His glory, know Him better every day, have the tiniest insight into His Plan, and show us what to do with what we have. Pray and ask for these gifts to enlighten your heart. The Holy Spirit is just waiting to offer these to you!
The Fruits of the Spirit
The Fruits of the Spirit are evidences of our receptivity to the Holy Spirit. We manifest them when we live a life committed to Christ’s Gospel Message. When we love as He did, we act with charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. If any are missing, pray for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit so that the Fruits might start showing up.
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