Pentecost

== Mariology ==
A secular iconography in both Western and Eastern Churches reflects the belief of the presence of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary]] on the day of Pentecost and her central role in the divine concession of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles.
{{bibleverse|Acts|1.14}} confirms the presence of the Mother of Jesus with the Twelve in a spiritual communion of daily prayer. It is the unique reference to the Mother of God after Jesus' entrusting to [[John the Apostle]] during the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Crucifixion]].

According to that iconographic tradition, the Latin encyclical ''[[Mystici Corporis Christi]]'' officially stated: 
{{blockquote
|She it was through her powerful prayers obtained that the spirit of our Divine Redeemer, already given on the Cross, should be bestowed, accompanied by miraculous gifts, on the newly founded Church at Pentecost; and finally, bearing with courage and confidence the tremendous burden of her sorrows and desolation, she, truly the Queen of Martyrs, more than all the faithful "filled up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ...for His Body, which is the Church"; and she continues to have for the Mystical Body of Christ, born of the pierced Heart of the Savior, the same motherly care and ardent love with which she cherished and fed the Infant Jesus in the crib.
|author= [[Pope Pius XII]]
|title= ''Mystici Corporis Christi'', 2 March 1943<ref>{{cite web | author = Pope Pius XII | url = http://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_29061943_mystici-corporis-christi.html | title = Encyclical "Mystici Corporis Christi" | date = March 2, 1943 | website = Holy See | publisher = [[Libreria Editrice Vaticana]]}}</ref>
}}
The Catholic and the Orthodox Churches accord the [[Mother of God]] a special form of veneration called ''[[Veneration#Catholicism and Orthodoxy|hyperdulia]]''. It corresponds to the special power of [[Intercession of saints|intercessory]] prayers dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary over those of all saints. Popes have stated that Mary prayed to God and her intercession was capable to persuade God to send the Holy Spirit as a permanent gift to the Twelve and their successors, thus forming the Apostolic Church.

In a similar way, [[Pope John Paul II]] in the general audience held in Vatican on May 28, 1997, affirmed:
{{blockquote|Retracing the course of the Virgin Mary’s life, the Second Vatican Council recalls her presence in the community waiting for Pentecost. “But since it had pleased God not to manifest solemnly the mystery of the salvation of the human race before he would pour forth the Spirit promised by Christ, we see the Apostles before the day of Pentecost ‘persevering with one mind in prayer with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with his brethren’ (Acts 1:14), and we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation” ([[Lumen gentium]], n.59). The first community is the prelude to the birth of the Church; the Blessed Virgin’s presence helps to sketch her definitive features, a fruit of the gift of Pentecost. [...]
In contemplating Mary’s powerful intercession as she waits for the Holy Spirit, Christians of every age have frequently had recourse to her intercession on the long and tiring journey to salvation, in order to receive the gifts of the Paraclete in greater abundance. [...]
In the Church and for the Church, mindful of Jesus’ promise, she waits for Pentecost and implores a multiplicity of gifts for everyone, in accordance with each one's personality and mission.|Pope John Paul II, ''General Audience'', 28 May 1997, Rome<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/it/audiences/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_28051997.html | title = General audience of Wednestay 28 May 1997 | publisher = [[Libreria Editrice Vaticana]] | website = Holy See | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200830120535/http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/audiences/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_28051997.html | archive-date = August 30, 2020 | url-status = live}}</ref>}}
The Marian intercessory prayer is dated to the day before Pentecost; while it is not explicitly stated that she was with the Apostles, it is in consideration of the fact she was called “full of grace” by the [[Archangel Gabriel]] at the [[Annunciation]]. 


Mary’s special relationship with the Holy Spirit and her presence at Pentecost gave way to one of her devotional titles being “Mother of the Church”. In 2018 Pope Francis designated the Monday after Pentecost each year as the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.