Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Gal. 5:16-25; John 20:19-23
Speaking Our
Native (Tongue) Language
1.
Today is the
birthday of the Church. We often think that the Holy Spirit came into existence
on the day of Pentecost. That is far from the truth. God is eternally Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit and manifests Himself as such. But on the day of
Pentecost, the Holy Spirit became the dominant reality in the life of the early
Church. It was the source of all guidance. It was the source of courage and
power, the counselor, the comforter, and solace in times of difficulties.
2.
There were three
great Jewish festivals to which every male Jew living within twenty miles of
Jerusalem was legally bound to attend – the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast
of Tabernacles. Pentecost means “The Fiftieth,” or “The Feast of Weeks,” so
called because it fell on the fiftieth day, a week after the feast of the
Passover. At least as many came to the Feast of Pentecost as to the Feast of
Passover. That explains the number of countries mentioned in this chapter;
never was there a more international crowd in Jerusalem than at the time of
Pentecost.” Pentecost commemorated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount
Sinai. So, it was a holiday for all, and the crowds on the streets would be
greater than ever. It was on that day the Holy Spirit descended on the
apostles. The disciples experienced the power of the Spirit flooding their
beings in a way they never had before. “All filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to
proclaim.” (Act 2:4).
3.
In verse 11, we
read, “Yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty
acts of God.” With the coming of the Spirit, the crowd heard the
apostles, for the first time, speaking out openly about the mighty acts of God.
They were now ready to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and witness
Christ’s resurrection. The Spirit empowered the apostles to preach the Word of
God in a way that struck straight to their hearts in a way that the crowd could
understand. It gave the apostles a message that penetrated every heart. It
broke their chains of fear and intimidation and enabled them to move freely and
courageously among Jews and Gentiles alike, armed with the Word to set the
captives free and heal the brokenhearted.
4.
The disciples
being understood by all is indicative that the ancient tragedy of Babel (Gen.
11:1-9) is now reversed. The people at Babel had arrogantly tried to “make a
name” for themselves by building a tower to the heavens – symbolizing the human
attempt to see power, wealth, and security without God. Consequently, God
confounded the universal human language into many different languages, making
it impossible for them to complete that tower. At Pentecost, the Spirit-given
ability of Jesus’s disciples to speak in various languages signifies that God
is beginning to overcome human divisions. We received the Spirit at baptism
which gave us the power to speak words of wisdom that should be understood by
all who hear us. The Spirit empowered us to break the bonds of sin and division
and initiate unity, peace, and love in our communities. Has our Spirit grown
dull and lukewarm? Why has the Spirit not burned the bad habits of our lives
and sowed the seed of love instead?
5.
Instead of
spreading gossip that stops us from speaking our native language of love, we
ask the Spirit to help us become preachers of God’s marvels. Instead of
proclaiming falsehood, may the Spirit assist us in speaking words of truth and
honesty. For those who harbor strife, vengeful thoughts, and hatred, may the
Spirit enable them to love God and their neighbors. We can only speak the
language of love if we learn it from birth. Our parents must have taught us not
so much by what they say but by what they do. They must speak the language of
love first at home with us through social interactions and relationships. We
must see, feel, practice, and then speak it.
6. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will come to us with
his gifts of “Wisdom and understanding, counsel, strength,
knowledge, and fear of the Lord.” (Is. 11: 2-3). May the Spirit
give us his fruit of “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23).
May the Spirit help us to conquer the indifference in our world so that we may
fight the internal battles of “immorality, impurity,
licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of
fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking
bouts, orgies and the like.” (Gal. 5:19-21). And so, we
pray: “Come O Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of the faithful, and
enkindle in them the fire of your love, send forth your Spirit, and they shall
be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth.” Amen.
Rev. Augustine
Etemma Inwang, MSP.
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