Pentecost: You Can Become All Flame

We read today in the Acts of the Apostles of this great day, which in a certain way we can celebrate as the birthday of the Church:

Pentecost – Duccio di Buoninsegna (1308)

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
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 as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his 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.”

(Acts 2:1-11)

I wish all who read my words a truly happy Pentecost. May the fire of the Holy Spirit be your light in the darkness. Remember the words of Abba Joseph of Panephysis!

Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said to him, ‘Abba, as far as I can, I say my little office. I fast a little, I pray and meditate, I live in peace and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?’

Then the old man stood up and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers became like ten lamps of fire and he said to him, ‘If you will, you can become all flame.’

Perhaps it is best to close with the traditional Pentecost Sequence, which is chanted before the Gospel on this day.

Original Latin

An English version: