THIS CHURCH IS ON FIRE! - PENTECOST SUNDAY

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11 (28 May 2023)

“And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues of fire … and began to speak in different tongues …” (Acts 2:2-4).

The description of the Acts of the Apostles on the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost celebration is quite violent and fearsome. There was the coming of a strong wind with a hurling sound that filled the entirety of the Upper Room. It might be indicative of a storm, which could easily dismantle the place where the apostles were staying. Additionally, there were tongues of fire that descended on each of them. This is a scary sight as well because it had the capacity to consume anything and anybody by its blazing flames. Finally, there was the different languages coming out from the mouths of the apostles that miraculously became understandable to everyone in the Pentecost assembly. In this regard, these devout pilgrims were amazed, wondering, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God” (vv. 7-11).

Fire, or puros in Greek, may be referential “of earthly fire, as an important element in creation” or “of fire that is heavenly in origin and nature” (cf. BDAG). On the latter’s usage in the New Testament (outside of the symbolic language of the Book of Revelation), it may be three-fold. First, it can refer to the sanctifying grace brought forth by the Holy Spirit, just as we read today at its descent upon the apostles and Mary (Acts 2:2-4).

The association of fire and the Holy Spirit has long been prophesied by Jesus himself, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt 3:11//Lk 3:16). In other words, fire can make someone holy.

Second, fire can point to a devastating punishment as a consequence of sin. Luke narrates that “on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them” (Lk 17:29). Also, Matthew presented Jesus as a shepherd and judge who will separate the sheep from the goats. To the latter, he would say, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41).

In this sense, fire is used as an image of suffering, punishment, and damnation, but resulting, of course, from human’s folly, pride, and evil deeds.

Third, fire can simply denote the human trial that must be surpassed to attain holiness. This is illustrated by Paul when he said to the Corinthians, “the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done” (1 Cor 3:13). While fire can be connotative of the sanctifying activity of the Holy Spirit or the eternal flames that await the impious, it can be taken neutrally as a stage in human existence when the proverbial fire tests one’s maturity in faith and loyalty to God. Similarly, we can use positively this spiritual fire by a life of witnessing to the faith or squander its worth by a life of sin and iniquity.

The apostles used this fire in the former’s direction, i.e., as a means in witnessing to their belief in the resurrected Lord. Let us be consumed by this same fire!

- Rex Fortes, CM