The Solemnity of Pentecost calls to mind the biblical image of fire, as we remember the Holy Spirit descending in flaming tongues upon the earliest disciples. Fire is one of the most powerful forces of nature, at times providing a gentle source of warmth, and at times unpredictably consuming what it touches. Just as we ought to approach natural fire with a cautious respect, the New Testament warns that we should worship the Lord with both reverence and awe, “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

Despite the awe-inspiring power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord does not want us to keep Him at arm's length, but to allow ourselves to be fully transformed by his burning presence. John the Baptist said of Jesus, “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). The Greek word “baptize” means “to immerse” - The Lords wants to immerse us into the fire of his presence. Jesus himself said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Luke 12:49)

In the Sayings of the Desert Fathers - a collection of anecdotes from the earliest Christian monks, who retreated into the solitude of the wilderness to pursue God - we find this conversation between two monks:

Lot went to Joseph and said, “Abba, as far as I can, I keep a moderate rule, with a little fasting, and prayer, and meditation, and quiet: and as far as I can I try to cleanse my heart of evil thoughts. What else should I do?” Then the hermit stood up and spread out his hands to heaven, and his fingers shone like ten flames of fire, and he said, “If you will, you can become all flame.” (The Desert Fathers 12.8)

The surprising truth is the Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, wants to fill us with Himself so that we can be transformed more fully into his image. By his presence, he purifies our human nature and allows us to share in his own divine nature. One great saint, the Carmelite St. John of the Cross, compares this process of sanctification and divinization to the effect that fire has on a log of wood:

Fire, when applied to wood, first dehumidifies it, dispelling all moisture and making it give off any water it contains. Then it gradually turns the wood black, makes it dark and ugly, and even causes it to emit a bad odor. By drying out the wood, the fire brings to light and expels all those ugly and dark accidents that are contrary to fire. Finally, by heating and enkindling it from without, the fire transforms the wood into itself and makes it as beautiful as it is itself. (The Dark Night II.10.1)

As St. John of the Cross goes on to explain, the fire of the Holy Spirit first brings to light our sins, so that it can purify us of them, then He transforms us inwardly until our souls share in his own divine beauty. In order to undergo this transformation, to “become all flame,” we must surrender to the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives through faith, the sacraments, the moral life, and prayer. As we celebrate these days after Pentecost, then, let us strive to embrace this awesome fire of the Holy Spirit, a fire that longs to longs to change us into itself.