Pentecost is the birthday of the Church because it marks the start of the Church’s public mission to spread the Gospel, to continue the work of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. It comes from the Greek word, pentekoste which means fiftieth or fifty. It is the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday. For the Jews it is the commemoration of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. For Christians it is the giving of the Holy Spirit, the principle of the new law of love, the power of God’s love, the only true power and the protagonist of the mission of the Church. The Church is the effective presence of Christ to the ends of the earth. We are the Church, the physical presence of Christ in our tormented world today. In the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-11), Luke, the author narrates the Christian Pentecost. There were images of strong wind and fire. They point to the presence of God. The Holy Spirit is like the wind and it blows where it wills. We cannot control the Holy Spirit. We don’t know where it goes and where it comes from. It means that God is everywhere and the challenge is to find God in all things and all things in God. The tongues of fire that were seen upon the disciples point to proclamation and speech. They speak the one language, the language of love. Pentecost is the reversal of Babel because it reverses Babel’s disunity. In Genesis 11, the people wanted to build a tower that would reach heaven to challenge God. It is a story of arrogance and pride. The result is chaos, confusion and disharmony. They were scattered and not able to finish the project. God is not a competitor and rival. He is a gathering force. He is our Father. He wants the best for us. The isunity of Babel is undone by the unity of Pentecost. Unity is a gift from the Holy Spirit and it is not uniformity but unity in diversity. We are called to be deeply united in our faith in Christ and in our love for one another. Each one of us is unique but our uniqueness is not for personal or individual gain but always for the common good. Therefore, Pentecost is empowering the disciples to continue the work of Jesus. He is the Word that breathes love. Just as God breathed into man the breath of life so Jesus breathes into the disciples the Spirit of life, recreating them. They are empowered to find strength to stand up, to go outside, to unlock doors and begin their proclamation. They became bold and fearless in witnessing that Christ is alive. Fear closes door and paralyzes us. The Holy Spirit is the Advocate, consoler, comforter, counselor, mediator, intercessor, interpreter, aid and helper in times of need, lawyer, guide, teacher and paraclete. He is the eternal, living, lasting and abiding presence of God among us. He empowers us today to witness that God’ love will ultimately prevail. If God is for us who can be against us!