The Thirteenth Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Ghost Upon Mary and the Apostles
The Fruit: Gratitude to God; Wisdom; Zeal for Souls

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1. In the company of the Great Queen of Heaven, and encouraged by Her, the twelve Apostles and the rest of the Disciples and Faithful joyfully waited for the fulfillment of the promise of The Savior, that He would send them the Holy Ghost, the Consoler, Who should instruct them and administer unto them all that they had heard in the teaching of Their Lord (John 14, 26).

2. They were so unanimous and united in charity, that during all these days none of them had any thought, affection or inclination contrary to those of the rest. They were of one heart and soul in thought and action. Although the election of Saint Mathias had occurred, not the least movement or sign of discord arose among all those first-born children of the Church; yet this was a transaction, which is otherwise apt to arouse differences of opinion in the most excellently disposed; since each one is apt to follow his own insight and does not easily yield to the opinion of others. But into this Holy Congregation no discord found entrance, because they were united in prayer, in fasting and in the expectation of the Holy Ghost, Who does not seek repose in discordant and unyielding hearts.

3. The Queen of the Angels, Most Holy Mary, in the plenitude of Her wisdom and grace, knew the time and predestined hour for the sending of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostolic College. When the days of Pentecost were about to be fulfilled (Act 2, 1), (which happened fifty days after the Resurrection of the Lord our Redeemer), the Most Blessed Mother saw, how in heaven the Humanity (John 14, 26) of the Word conferred with The Eternal Father concerning the promised sending of The Divine Paraclete to the Apostles, and that the time predetermined by His Infinite Wisdom for planting the faith and all His gifts in His Holy Church, was at hand.

4. On Pentecost morning the Blessed Virgin Mary exhorted the Apostles, the disciples and the pious women, numbering about one hundred and twenty, to pray more fervently and renew their hopes, since the hour was at hand in which they were to be visited by the Divine Spirit from on high. At the third hour (nine o'clock), when all of them were gathered around Their Heavenly Mistress and engaged in fervent prayer, the air resounded with a tremendous thunder and the blowing of a violent wind mixed with the brightness of fire or lightning, all centering upon the house of the Cenacle. The house was enveloped in light and the Divine Fire was poured out over all of that holy gathering (Acts 2, 2). Over the head of each of the hundred and twenty persons appeared a tongue of that same fire, in which the Holy Ghost had come, filling each one with Divine Influences and Heavenly Gifts and causing at one and the same time the most diverse and contrary effects in the Cenacle.
 
5. The Holy Virgin received more than all the rest of the Saints. Her glory for that space of time, exceeded that of the Angels and of the Blessed. She alone gave to the Lord more glory, praise and thanksgiving than all the universe for the benefit of the descent of His Holy Spirit upon His Church and for His having pledged Himself so many times to send Him and through Him to govern it to the end of the World. The Blessed Trinity was so pleased with the conduct of Mary on this occasion, that It considered Itself fully repaid and compensated for having created the World; and not only compensated, but God acted as if He were under a certain obligation for possessing such a peerless Creature, whom the Father could look upon as His Daughter, the Son as His Mother, and the Holy Ghost as His Spouse.

6. The Apostles, as Saint Luke says (Acts 2, 11), were also replenished and filled with the Holy Ghost; for they received a wonderful increase of justifying grace of a most exalted degree. The twelve Apostles were confirmed in this Sanctifying Grace and were never to lose it. In all of them, according to each one's condition, were infused the habits of the seven gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Science, Piety, Counsel, Fortitude and Fear. In this magnificent blessing, as new as it was admirable in the World, the twelve Apostles were created fit ministers of the New Testament and founders of the Evangelical Church for the whole World.

7. In all the rest of the disciples and the faithful, who received the Holy Ghost in the Cenacle, the Most High wrought proportionally and respectively the same effects, except that they were not confirmed in Grace like the Apostles but according to the ministry they were to hold in the Holy Church. The same proportion was maintained in regard to the Apostles; yet Saint Peter and Saint John were more singularly favored on account of the high offices assigned to them: the one to govern the Church as its head, and the other to attend upon and serve the Queen and Mistress of Heaven and of Earth, Most Holy Mary. The sacred text of Saint Luke says, that the Holy Ghost filled the whole house in which this Happy Congregation was gathered (Acts 2, 7), not only because all of them were filled with the Holy Ghost and His admirable gifts, but because the house itself was filled with wonderful light and splendor.

8. This plenitude of wonders and prodigies overflowed and communicated itself also to others outside of the Cenacle; for it caused diverse and various effects of the Holy Spirit among the inhabitants of Jerusalem and its vicinity. All those, who with some piety had compassioned Our Savior Jesus in His Passion and Death, deprecating His most bitter torments and reverencing His Sacred Person, were interiorly visited with new light and grace, which disposed them afterwards to accept the doctrine of the Apostles.

9. On account of the visible and open signs, by which the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles, the whole city of Jerusalem with its inhabitants was stirred to wonder. When the news of the astounding events at the house of the Cenacle spread about, the multitude of the people gathered in crowds to know more of the happening (Acts 2, 6). On that day was being celebrated one of the Paschs or Feasts of the Jews;  the city was crowded with foreigners and strangers from all parts of the world. For to them the Most High wished to manifest the wonders of the first preaching and spreading of the New Law of Grace, which The Incarnate Word, Our Redeemer and Master, had ordained for the Salvation of men.

10. The Sacred Apostles, who were filled with charity by the plenitude of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost and who knew that an Jerusalem was gathering at the doors of the Cenacle, asked permission of Their Mistress and to go forth and preach to them; they all left the house of the Cenacle and, placing themselves before the multitudes, began to preach the Mysteries of the Faith and of Eternal Life. Though until then they had been so shy and seclusive, they now stepped forth with unhesitating boldness and poured forth burning words, light like a flashing fire penetrated to the souls of their hearers.

This miracle, that all the men of so many different tongues then assembled in Jerusalem should hear the Apostles in their own language, joined to the doctrine which they preached, caused great astonishment. Yet I wish to remark, that though all the Apostles, on account of the plenitude of science and of gifts gratuitously received, were able to speak in the languages of all nations, because that was necessary for the preaching of the Gospel, yet on that occasion they all spoke the language of Palestine. Using only this idiom they were understood by all the different nationalities there present, as if they had spoken in the several idioms. This miracle the Lord wrought at the time in order that they might be understood and believed by those different nations, and in order that Saint Peter might not be obliged to repeat in the different languages of those present, what he preached to them concerning the Mysteries of Faith. He preached only once and all heard and understood him, each in his own language, and so it happened also with the other Apostles.

The three thousand, who were converted by the first sermon of Saint Peter, were from all the nations then gathered in Jerusalem, so that forthwith all nations, without excluding any, might partake of the fruits of the Redemption, all might be gathered to the Church, and all might experience the Grace of the Holy Spirit; for the Holy Church was to be composed of all nations and tribes. After their preaching the Apostles retired that evening within the Cenacle, in order to give an account to the Mother of Mercy, the Purest Mary. With them also entered a great number of the new children of the Church, in order that they might come to know and venerate The Mother of Mercy.

As the Apostles continued their preaching and wonders in Jerusalem, the number of the converted and Baptized reached five thousand after seven days.

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