Three weeks ago I celebrated Mass in the northern Spanish village of Caleruega, in a tiny chapel marking the birth place of St Dominic. This chapel was built on the site of his parents’ bedroom soon after his death in 1221 and became the crypt of a larger church.

Today, at the centre of the crypt, there is a fountain of flowing water, a symbol of new life. Many pilgrims have come to this fountain over the centuries, especially those seeking fruitfulness and fertility in their lives, and they still do so today, for this is a place of powerful prayer and of the gracious action of God.

This weekend Christian Churches throughout the world will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, marking the outpouring of the Spirit of God, which flowed not from the birth of a saint but from the death and Resurrection of the Son of God.

The images of Pentecost are full of energy, freedom and joy. The flames of fire, the powerful wind, the soaring dove, the kaleidoscope of languages – all portray the fruitfulness of this gift of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost the frightened first band of Disciples are transformed into fearless preachers of the Word of God. Our liturgical celebration of the feast gives access to that same gift today.

For Roman Catholics in Britain, this Pentecost is the 25th anniversary of the visit of Pope John Paul II to this land. That remarkable visit set confidence coursing through the veins of Catholics, old and young. The sun-drenched celebrations of the Sacraments, led by the Pope, attracted huge crowds. These, and the Pope’s warm rapport with the Queen, surprised many observers.

Much has happened since. Yet the fundamental themes of Pentecost are as relevant as ever: energy, freedom and joy. These hallmarks of God’s Spirit still touch our deepest needs.

Britain is now a far more multifaith society. Today nobody should doubt that religious faith, the response of the human spirit to the promptings of God’s Spirit, is a great source of energy for good. All over this land the commitment to justice and compassion, the desire to serve others rather than self, the quest for peace, are inspired and sustained by religious faith.

The faiths in our society today seek mutual understanding and harmony. Except for the few extremists, those who live by faith in God seek truth in humility and do not encourage intemperance or intolerance. The roots of intolerance lie elsewhere, often as not in bitterness or anger, which is a very different fire from the fire of love, the gift of the Holy Spirit.

One thing which has not changed in our society is our esteem for freedom, both to be sought and defended. Pentecost, and the drama of the Disciples breaking free from their fear, invites us to think again about freedom.

Freedom is so often presented as the endless opportunity to take up new experiences, new pleasures. Yet, as Pope Benedict XVI states so clearly, surely this kind of freedom is a condemnation, not a liberation, for it locks a person into an insatiable quest for novelty. True freedom, in contrast, is the exercise of our capacity to choose deliberately and well all that is good, true and beautiful, and not to be beguiled by false and fleeting novelties that add nothing to our lasting wellbeing, or to that of others.

Pentecost reminds us that our natural capacity for freedom and choice is fulfilled when the Spirit of God shapes both our perceptions and our decisions. But the most compelling feature of the Pentecost story is the explosion of joy that took hold of the first Disciples and gave such vigour to their proclamation of the Gospel. Anguish and fear had gripped them at the death of Jesus. It is replaced with a joyous realisation that the darkness is not final. Rather, new life, a new force for life, takes hold of them.

Occasionally we, too, are gripped by anguish and fear. More often we are burdened with weariness, small anxieties and, most particularly, cynicism – whether professionally required or willingly embraced. Then we belittle goodness, consider naive those who are sincere and make the worst of every story. Joy in life is the much needed antidote to this corrosive frame of mind.

Some have joy as a natural disposition. But the Christian faith gives a profound joy in the risen Lord which can transform every life. This is the greatest gift of Pentecost and the most compelling witness to the truth of our faith.