I immediately associate the color red with courage. During the feasts of martyrs, the liturgical color is red because it symbolizes the blood that they shed while witnessing to Jesus. It is this same color that is used to celebrate events associated with the Holy Spirit. Aside from the obvious association with fire, red in Pentecost reminds us of the apostles transformed from timid men in locked rooms into courageous proclaimers of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Proclaiming the Gospel takes courage because it involves risks. This was true for the apostles who were all martyred, save one. This is also true for us today.
The Gospel, like fire, cannot be contained, nor should it be. Jesus said that we should let our light, the flame of God’s presence, which we have received in Baptism, to shine. It cannot be kept under a bushel basket. I feel that the imagery of the bushel basket covering the light is not just meant to encourage us to proclaim our faith, but to remind us that the light cannot be tamed by those who wish to contain it. In our world today, the flame of God’s love is stifled by ridicule, timidity, and indifference.
As a visible beacon, our faith is a subject of ridicule and outright hostility because the light makes many uncomfortable. The light shines on truth, and the truth may not be pleasant for all. We have to admit that even though some of the ridicule is self-inflicted (e.g., the sex abuse crisis), many of the attacks have been cruel and unfair, especially in social media. For some, the light of faith is kept in the shadows by fear. It may be the fear of taking personal sacrifices for Jesus or of proclaiming our faith in a hostile world, but this fear covers that light. The worst form of covering the flame is not due to active forces of hostility without fear within; it is because of indifference — the coldness of our hearts that threaten to snuff the fire in our hearts completely.
In our masses for Pentecost Sunday, our Parish is dominated by red for it sends a powerful reminder of courage which is both a gift and a mission from the Holy Spirit. We are given the fire of the Spirit to empower us, but we are also tasked to be prophets of courage amid the ever-present darkness that hovers in our midst. Part of this mission is to engage this darkness by actively proclaiming our faith. However, we have to live prophetic lives as well. This means we have to be able to embrace a life where we are willing to make brave choices for Jesus.
For parents, it means taking pains in creating a truly Catholic home environment instead of simply surrendering to the convenient path of mediocrity. For young people, it may mean the willingness to listen to the call of the Lord to a priestly or religious life instead of dismissing it outright in lieu of a safe career. For young couples, it may mean making an effort to follow church teachings on marriage and life instead of just doing what is popular.
Red, the color of courage and ultimately that of sacrifice, is a symbol of our choice to embrace the gift of courage in our lives. The Holy Spirit that filled the hearts of the disciples were not meant to keep us comfortable. It was meant to light a fire to set the world ablaze.
A blessed Pentecost Sunday to you all!