Today, I join in prayer with Christians joyfully celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecostâone of the most sacred events of the Christian faith. We commemorate the fulfillment of Jesus Christâs earthly mission and the birth of His holy and living Church.
On Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus Christâs resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday, the Holy Spirit descended upon His Apostles in the form of a mighty windâempowering them to speak in tongues and proclaim the good news of the Gospel to lands and peoples near and far. âRepent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,â the Apostle Peter boldly declared.
Equipped with the courage, clarity, and grace of Almighty God, in the years that followed, the Apostles went on to withstand tremendous danger to bring hearts, minds, and souls to the Christian faithâmarking the beginning of the Church, against which even the evils of hell shall not prevail. More than 2,000 years later, the Holy Spirit continues to descend upon all those who proclaim Christâs nameâenabling them to spread The Gospel.
As we celebrate this glorious feast day, we also honor all Christians who, like the Apostles, have willingly endured persecution because of their faith. My Administration will always defend the right of every American to worship God freely and without fear. For this reason, I created the White House Faith Office and proudly instituted the White House Religious Liberty Commission to safeguard and promote Americaâs founding principle of religious freedom. Under my leadership, we are protecting God in the public square and emboldening every believer to live their faith freely, openly, and without threat of persecution.
As we celebrate the miracle of Pentecost and birth of Christâs Church, we pray that the Holy Spirit fills our Nation and her people with abundant graceâbringing us peace, protection, and Godâs presence.
May God bless you, and may He continue to bless the United States of America. Have a blessed Pentecost!