Peter means “rock”. Apostle Peter might have resembled a rock in terms of his appearance: we don’t know anything about it directly, but since he was a professional fisherman and leaves a rather strong impression in the accounts of the Gospels and the Book of Acts, we can assume that he was a big and strong man.

This may have been his biggest stumbling block in following Jesus: His own self was the “rock” on which he stumbled and fell many times. For example, when he thought he had to rebuke Jesus, who had predicted His suffering and death, and lead Him back to the “right path,” so that Jesus had to admonish him with terrifying severity: “Get behind me, Satan!”

What is fear? Encyclopedias say that fear is “an unpleasant emotion caused by being aware of danger or threats.” Fear can also be caused by the possibility of being punished. It is probably the latter that St. John has in mind when he says that “he that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

Nicodemus, who came to Jesus under cover of night, said reverently and at first glance even humbly: “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” However, Jesus’ response to Nicodemus was somewhat unexpected, even harsh: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Essentially, this means that Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he only thinks he knows who Jesus is, but in reality he knows nothing and is not capable of knowing or understanding, because “we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.”

Some people who have had the opportunity to fly in a hot air balloon have mentioned as one of the most interesting experiences the fact that there is no wind at all up there – contrary to what they had expected. In fact, of course there is wind – but they didn’t feel it, because the hot air balloon moves with the wind.

This analogy helps us to understand what happened at Pentecost, and it opens up an interesting perspective on some of Jesus’ words. For example, in John chapter 3, Jesus says to Nicodemus: “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended to Heaven. His disciples no longer saw Him, but that did not mean that He had abandoned them. On the contrary: He came back to them, He even came into them, through His Holy Spirit, th Spirit of Truth, who testifies in their hearts and through them of the great love of God.

He testifies of love, which become true within us and manifest itself in our lives as charity. This is exactly what Saint Peter says in today’s Epistle: “Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”