Pentecost and Easter are the only two feasts whose origins date back to the Old Testament. Obviously, both reached their perfection in the New Covenant through Christ, the Lord and Apex of History.
St. Augustine said that the Holy Ghost was sent so that — through His divine power — the work Christ began might be consummated, what He obtained might be preserved, and what He redeemed might be sanctified.
The coming of the Holy Ghost, which is the reason for today’s feast, is the consummation of the Mysteries of the Faith. That is why, since apostolic times, the Feast of Pentecost has always held a place of great importance among Christians.
The similarities between the Pentecost of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament are astonishing. Both occurred fifty days after Easter. The first took place on Mount Sinai, where the presence of God was manifested amidst fire and mighty winds. The second took place in Jerusalem, with tongues of fire descending from Heaven, accompanied by the rushing wind of the Holy Ghost.
The first Pentecost, called שבועות, commemorated the day on which God gave the Torah to Israel, thus promulgating the Old Law. The second marked the moment when the Spirit of Truth strengthened the Apostles with the gifts necessary to proclaim the New Law, thereby fulfilling the promise God made through the prophet Jeremiah: that He would establish a second and more perfect covenant with mankind.
And so the prophecy was fulfilled, and the Church was now ready to begin Her mission.
Her first miracle was a miracle of catholicity. Because of the pride of the people of Babel, God had once confounded human language so that men could no longer understand one another. But here, gathered around the most faithful and humble of all creatures — Our Lady — the Apostles received the grace and strength contained in those tongues of fire in order to unite every tongue under Heaven and proclaim the Will of God to the entire world, at the point that 3000 men were added to the Church that day, the exact same number of men that, when Moses came down from the mountain, ordered to be slain by the Levites in the camp, for worshiping the Golden Calf.
The words of the Magnificat sung by Our Lady — “He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble” — resonate here with marvelous solemnity.
But this year, I want you to reflect not principally on the miracle of fire, nor on the mighty wind, nor on the bravery of the Apostles’ proclamation, nor even on the miraculous way in which their message was understood by all peoples. Rather, I want you to reflect upon the most sublime manifestation of the Holy Ghost: Peace.
“And behold, the word of the Lord came unto Elias the Prophet, saying: Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passeth, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord: but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake: but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire: but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a subtle voice”. And in it Elias recognized the voice of the Lord God.
But what is true Peace?
We must listen attentively to the words of Our Lord that we heard today in the Gospel:
“Pacem relínquo vobis, pacem meam do vobis: non quómodo mundus dat, ego do vobis”. (John 14:27)
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you”
But what does Our Lord mean when He says, “not as the world giveth”?
When Jesus spoke these words, He was not referring merely to emotional calmness or the absence of conflict. Today, many people reduce peace to something superficial: a feeling of relaxation, emotional comfort, or a life free from suffering and difficulties. While those things may accompany peace, they are not its essence.
For if the peace of Christ were merely a feeling of tranquility, then it would depend entirely upon external circumstances — upon everything in our lives functioning according to our desires, without pain, fear, or uncertainty. Yet Our Lord spoke these words precisely when His disciples were about to endure fear, confusion, persecution, and sorrow.
That alone is proof that Christ was speaking of something infinitely deeper.
In Aramaic, the word for peace can be expressed as שלמא. But שלמא means far more than emotional tranquility. It signifies wholeness, integrity, harmony, and restoration. It refers to a soul rightly ordered according to the Will of God.
Thus, when Christ says, “My peace I give unto you” He is speaking of a peace that remains even when everything around us appears chaotic. A man possesses true peace when he knows that, in all things — even the smallest details of life — he sincerely seeks to do the Will of God, trusting that God knows better than we ourselves what shall lead us to eternal happiness.
The certainty of having a loving Father who governs all things “for the good of those who love Him,” as St. Paul says, is the very foundation of Christian peace.
“Omnia cooperantur in bonum” (Rom. 8:28)
“And we know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good.”
But then another question arises: what does it mean to love God?
Christ Himself answers this in today’s Gospel:
“Si quis díligit me, sermónem meum servábit, et Pater meus díliget eum, et ad eum veniémus et mansiónem apud eum faciémus: qui non díligit me, sermónes meos non servat”. (John 14:23-24)
“If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words”
But what does it mean to “keep My word”?
Certainly, it means striving for holiness and working out our salvation —something that, by the way, Protestants deny. But it also means something profoundly important that we must ask every day from the Holy Ghost: the grace to eagerly desire the presence of Christ in our lives.
We must desire His presence in every project we undertake. We must invite Him into every action, every decision, every moment of our earthly pilgrimage.
One of the most beautiful examples of this is found in Simeon and Anna.
When Our Lady and St. Joseph entered the Temple to present the Child Jesus, the Temple was immense and filled with countless people.
Yet among the multitude, Simeon immediately recognized the Messiah. He went straight toward the Holy Family, took the forty-day-old Child into his arms, and proclaimed that the Savior had come.
Meanwhile, there were doctors of the Law who could recite Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus flawlessly, and yet later they would fail to recognize God Himself standing before them in the flesh, even while He raised the dead. But Simeon recognized the Messiah while He was still an infant.
Why? St. Luke answers:
“There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was just and devout, eagerly waiting for the consolation of Israel.” (Luke 2:25)
He was righteous. That means he sincerely sought to obey the Will of God.
He was devout. That means he treated the Word of God with reverence.
And he was EAGERLY AWAITING the coming of the Messiah.
The Greek word used there is προσδέχομαι, which means to remain in a state of expectancy — to wait with longing, attentiveness, and hope.
After Simeon finished prophesying, the prophetess Anna approached. Having spent decades in fasting and prayer, she too recognized the Child and spoke of Him ONLY to all those who were EAGERLY AWAITING the redemption of Israel. And again, the same word is used: προσδέχομαι.
Now fast forward to Luke chapter 12. There, Christ teaches us how to prepare for His Second Coming. And what does He say?
He says: Remain dressed for service; keep your lamps burning; be vigilant like the wise virgins awaiting the bridegroom; and be like servants eagerly awaiting the return of their master.
It is the very same spirit found in Simeon.
And that expectancy should not exist only for the Second Coming, but for every moment of our lives — even the final one.
Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of the love towards God.
