A Reflection for Ember Wednesday in the Octave of Pentecost
(Feria Quarta Quattuor Temporum Pentecostes)
The sacred liturgy of Ember Wednesday in the Octave of Pentecost invites us into the upper room of the Church’s memory. It is a day bathed in the fire of the Holy Ghost and tempered by the discipline of fasting. The readings chosen by Holy Mother Church—Acts 2:14–21, Acts 5:12–16, and John 6:44–52—form a spiritual triad: the outpouring of the Spirit, the power of apostolic signs, and the Bread of Life that sustains the Church in her pilgrimage.
I. The Spirit Promised and Poured Out — Acts 2:14–21
Saint Peter, standing amidst the crowd of Pentecost, proclaims with apostolic boldness: “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16). The Spirit poured out upon the Apostles is not an innovation, but the fulfillment of prophecy. The early Church Fathers saw in this passage the beginning of a new creation.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem teaches:
“The Holy Ghost is one in name, yet manifold in power. He is light to one, knowledge to another, power to another, healing to another, and zeal to another. He comes gently and makes Himself known by His fragrance.” (Catechetical Lectures, XVI)
This outpouring was not reserved to the Apostles alone. “I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh”—men and women, old and young, slave and free—reveals the catholicity of grace. St. John Chrysostom observes:
“See how he does not merely say, ‘upon you,’ but ‘upon all flesh’—showing the superabundance of grace and the universality of the gift.” (Hom. on Acts 2)
On Ember Wednesday, we fast in part to dispose ourselves to this very Spirit, cleansing the soul to receive more abundantly the fire of divine charity.
II. The Apostolic Church in Action — Acts 5:12–16
The second lesson provides a glimpse into the primitive Church, marked by signs and wonders:
“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people” (Acts 5:12).
Here we see the Spirit not merely as a personal comforter, but as the source of divine power manifest in the community of believers. The Fathers unanimously saw these signs as a testimony to the truth of the Apostolic preaching.
St. Irenaeus, writing in the 2nd century, bears witness:
“Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and all grace.” (Adversus Haereses, III.24.1)
In our own times, though the visible miracles may be rarer, the mystery of the Church’s sacramental life remains the same miracle, veiled. The true sign and wonder is the Eucharist, which brings us to the Gospel.
III. The Bread Come Down from Heaven — John 6:44–52
On this Ember Wednesday, Holy Church brings us to the very heart of the mystery: the Bread of Life.
“No man can come to Me, except the Father who hath sent Me draw him… I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” (John 6:44, 51)
The same Spirit poured out at Pentecost draws souls to the Son, and the Son gives us His Flesh for the life of the world. St. Augustine teaches us to reverence this mystery deeply:
“Understand what you receive, and become what you eat. The Eucharist is the mystery of your unity and the bond of your charity.” (Sermon 272)
The language of this Gospel is visceral, literal, and stunning: “The bread that I will give, is My flesh, for the life of the world.” The Greek term sarx used here denotes real, tangible flesh—not a symbol, not an idea, but the living Body of the God-man. This is the heart of the Christian mystery, and its reception demands faith, reverence, and fasting.
St. Ignatius of Antioch—writing in the early 2nd century—called the Eucharist:
“The medicine of immortality, the antidote that we should not die but live forever in Jesus Christ.” (Ep. to the Ephesians, 20)
IV. Pentecost and Ember Days: Preparation for Divine Life
The Ember Days are ancient stations of purification, calling the faithful to fast, pray, and prepare for the reception of grace—especially for the sacred ordinations that traditionally took place during this season. On Ember Wednesday of Pentecost, we stand between the fire of the Spirit and the altar of the Lord, between the wind of heavenly inspiration and the stillness of fasting.
In the logic of the Church, the fullness of spiritual gifts demands a humble soil. The Spirit was poured out upon men at prayer and in fasting. The Eucharist is not for the heedless or casual, but for those drawn by the Father and conformed to the Son through the action of the Spirit.
Conclusion: Let Us Be Drawn, Filled, and Fed
As we keep this Ember Wednesday, let us ask to be drawn by the Father, filled with the Spirit, and fed by the Son.
May the words of St. Ephraem the Syrian be our prayer today:
“Descend, O Holy Spirit! Enlighten my darkness, strengthen my weakness, kindle my coldness. Pour upon me Thy sevenfold grace, that I may taste the Bread of Life and burn with the fire of divine charity.” (Hymns on the Holy Spirit)
Let us fast not merely from food, but from vanity and distraction. Let us pray not merely with lips, but with hearts yearning for the fire of divine love. Let us prepare not only to receive the Eucharist, but to become more truly members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful—and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Amen.